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Nov 25, 2013

Chase City man wins $100,000 top prize in Cash 5

Anthony Patterson wasn’t sure what to think when he discovered he’d matched all five numbers in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game.

“It really didn’t hit me at first,” he said.

The Chase City man matched them all in the November 22 Cash 5 day drawing to win the game’s top prize. He bought the winning ticket at Quik Stop, 329 East Second Street in Chase City.

The winning numbers were 3-5-6-7-9. He selected the numbers on his ticket at random.

Mr. Patterson, who works as a delivery driver, said he has no immediate plans for his winnings.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.3 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than $486.5 million for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2013. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Aug 17, 2017

Virginia Lottery profits to K-12 education total more than a half-billion dollars for Fiscal Year 2017

Schools, retailers and players are the biggest winners

Coming off a record performance last year, the Virginia Lottery announced today that the 2017 fiscal year was its second strongest ever, with profits totaling $558.3 million. That beat the profit forecast by $11.8 million.

The state is required by Virginia’s constitution to spend all profits it receives from the Lottery on K-12 public education. About 9.4 percent of state funding for schools comes from the Lottery.

“We’re proud and excited to deliver to the Commonwealth more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s K-12 schools,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “The successful year was the result of a successful business strategy, fun games and promotions, hard work by our team, our players, our retailer partners – and luck, of course.”

Sales & Prizes

The Virginia Lottery’s strong performance in FY17 was driven by sales of nearly $2 billion. That’s a slight decrease of 0.8% from the previous year, which included sales from an unprecedented $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot in January 2016.

Although the Lottery benefits all Virginians, regardless of whether they play, Lottery players shared in the year’s success by claiming a record $1.2 billion in prizes. A total of 44 tickets won prizes of at least $1 million.

Stores across the Commonwealth that sell Lottery tickets earned nearly $112 million in commissions, incentives and bonuses.

“A vital part of the equation is the 5,200 retailers from one end of Virginia to the other that partner with us,” said Ms. Otto. “Those grocery stores, convenience stores and other Virginia businesses share in our effort to generate funds for education.”

There’s an additional benefit to stores for carrying Virginia Lottery products. Customers who come in to play the lottery often end up making other purchases as well.

The Lottery continued its strategy of working to increase its customer base. About one-third of adult Virginians play at least one lottery game in a typical month.

“The bottom line is: We’d rather see more people buying a few tickets each than the same people spending more money,” said Ms. Otto. “Increasing the number of people who play is both good business, and it’s the socially responsible way to build sales.”

Some people might find it surprising that a person can win prizes even if the ticket didn’t win the first time. In the eXTRA Chances Promotion, players can enter non-winning tickets for the chance to win great prizes. Three players won $500,000 each, and another five won $100,000 each by entering their non-winning tickets in the eXTRA Chances Promotion.

Expenses

Meanwhile, the Lottery’s operating expenses were kept to five percent of sales, far below the 10 percent allowed by Virginia law. This is significant because the cost of running the Lottery doesn’t come from tax dollars. It comes solely from money generated by ticket sales.

“The Lottery works very hard to be a good steward of the people’s money,” said Virginia Lottery Board Chairman Fred Helm. “This organization can be a source of pride for all Virginians, whether or not they choose to buy a ticket.”

Education Funding

While all Lottery funds go to education, a budget amendment passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor will bring more flexibility in the way school districts across the Commonwealth use the funds they get from the Lottery. The measure increases the Lottery Per Pupil Allocation, which is the amount local school districts can spend at their own discretion to meet their district’s unique needs. In FY 2017 the amount is $34.1 million, with the total rising to $191.3 million in FY 2018.

Another way in which the Lottery contributes funds to education involves unclaimed prizes. By law, the Virginia Lottery gives all unclaimed prize money to the state’s Literary Fund, which is used solely for educational purposes, such as upgrading technology in schools and teacher retirement funding. In FY17, nearly $12.3 million in unclaimed prize money went to the Literary Fund.

In addition, more than $2.1 million in unpaid taxes, fines and child support were collected from prizes. The Lottery partners with Virginia’s Department of Taxation as part of the Set-off Debt Collection Act.

With a strong bond to education in the Commonwealth, it’s no surprise that the Virginia Lottery’s award-winning “Thank a Teacher” program continued to gain attention. The program, which builds on the success of the Virginia Lottery Super Teacher Awards, helps thousands of Virginia public school teachers to get a “thank you” during Teacher Appreciation Week. One of those teachers then receives a lot more: A Virginia-themed vacation from the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

Responsible Gaming

In FY17 the Virginia Lottery became one of the first lotteries in the nation selected for a Responsible Gaming Verification program aimed at raising awareness of gambling addiction and problem gambling. The Virginia Lottery is partnering with the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling on the multi-year program, with the goal of making Virginia a leader in the lottery industry with regard to responsible play.

“We tell all lottery players in Virginia to have fun, be game and play responsibly,” said Ms. Otto. “We strongly feel that helping to raise awareness among players, retailers, lottery employees and the general public is an important part of social responsibility.”

The Future

What’s on the horizon in the coming year? You can bet there will be new games, exciting promotions, an updated website, changes in Mega Millions, and unique ways of engaging with a new generation of Virginians. Not only that, but the Virginia Lottery will celebrate its 30th birthday in September of 2018.

“Our mission is ‘Contributing to Virginia’s future, one play at a time,’” said Ms. Otto. “Since 1999 we’ve generated more than $8 billion for K-12 public education in Virginia, at the same time earning a reputation for fun, innovation and integrity.”

For nearly five weeks, Enrico Pelausa had a million-dollar secret. The Manassas Park electrician had a Powerballticket that matched the first five numbers, making it worth $1 million.

However, instead of coming forward and claiming the prize immediately, Mr. Pelausa took his time, getting financial affairs in order. When he finally presented his ticket to Virginia Lottery officials, he had a simple explanation for beating the odds:

“I guess I just got lucky,” he said.

Mr. Pelausa bought the ticket at In & Out Mart, 9103 Mathis Avenue in Manassas, for the July 8 Powerball drawing. He used Easy Pick, allowing the computer to randomly select the numbers on his ticket.

The winning numbers were 8-10-29-40-59, and the Powerball number was 26. His ticket was the only one in the nation to match the first five numbers in that drawing. When he checked the winning numbers for that drawing, he had a hard time believing his luck.

“I had to look at the ticket over and over and over and over,” he said.

He said he plans to “stash it away for retirement.”

Meanwhile, the store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. They are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and live on www.valottery.com.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Aug 03, 2017

Boykins woman wins $150,000 in “Frogger” Scratcher game

Krystal Bradshaw was in tears one moment and holding her breath the next as she waited to claim her $150,000 prize from the Virginia Lottery. The Boykins woman won the top prize in the FroggerScratcher game.

“I still want to cry. I cried last night,” she said.

A gift from her mother, the $5 Scratcher was purchased at Red Barn Food Store, 18169 Beaton Street in Boykins.

Frogger (game #1653) is one of dozens of Scratcher games available from the Virginia Lottery. Prizes range from $5 to $150,000.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 454,629. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 4.3. She is the fourth person to claim the top prize in the game, which means only three $150,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

Ms. Bradshaw said the money will go to helping her family as well as paying for school.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

It’s natural for most people to return home from vacation with a bit less money. But not Jonathan Jones. He ended up a million dollars richer.

The Washington, DC, man was in Williamsburg with his family, enjoying a Busch Gardens vacation, when he stopped at a nearby convenience store to play Powerball. His ticket ended up matching the first five numbers to win the game’s $1 million second prize.

Mr. Jones bought his winning ticket at Terrace Grocery, 1102 Penniman Road in Williamsburg for the July 22 drawing. He used Easy Pick, allowing the computer to randomly select the numbers on his ticket.

The winning numbers were 5-32-44-53-60, and the Powerball number was 9. His ticket was the only one in Virginia to match the first five numbers and one of just three nationwide.

Mr. Jones, who works for a roofing company, said he has no immediate plans for his winnings.

The store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. They are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and live on www.valottery.com.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Aug 02, 2017

Mega Millions ticket bought in Harrisonburg wins $1 million

Somewhere there is a ticket from Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing that’s now worth $1 million. It was bought at Martin’s Food Market, 2035 East Market Street in Harrisonburg.

The winning numbers for the August 1 drawing were 20-22-52-57-73 and the Mega Ball number was 7. This ticket matched the first five numbers and missed only the Mega Ball number. That wins Mega Millions’ second prize of $1 million.

Whoever has the ticket has 180 days from the drawing date to claim the prize. The Virginia Lottery advises that before doing anything else, the winner should immediately sign the back of the ticket to establish ownership. When the person is ready to claim the million-dollar prize, he or she should contact the Virginia Lottery.

No ticket in Virginia or anywhere else matched all six numbers to win the estimated $303 million jackpot, so the jackpot grows to an estimated $323 million for Friday night’s drawing.

This ticket was the only one in Virginia to match the first five numbers in the August 1 drawing, and one of just four nationwide.

Meanwhile, there’s another million-dollar Mega Millions ticket still out there. The ticket won $1 million in the July 21 drawing. It was bought at Corner Mart, 4027 West Broad Street in Richmond. The winner has not yet come forward.

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights at 11:00. Drawings are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and streamed live at www.valottery.com. The odds of winning the $1,000,000 prize in Mega Millions are 1 in 18,492,204.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Aug 01, 2017

Roanoke man claims top prize in Virginia Lottery’s “Big Bills” game

Kilder Chavarria won some “big bills” with a Virginia Lottery Scratcher ticket called, not surprisingly, Big Bills. The Roanoke man claimed the $150,000 top prize.

The winning ticket was bought at the 7-Eleven at 3602 Williamson Road in Roanoke.

Big Bills is one of dozens of games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $150,000. The odds of winning that top prize are 1 in 832,320. The odds of winning any prize in Big Bills are 1 in 4.23.

Mr. Chavarria is the third player to claim the top prize in this game, which means two top prizes remain unclaimed.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Aug 01, 2017

Two winning tickets in the same drawing! - Richmond woman wins $200,000

Thelma Johnson was in a grocery store when she saw the winning numbers from the previous night’s Cash 5 drawing briefly appear on the monitor.

“It went by so quickly,” she said. “I thought, ‘Those are my numbers!’”

They were indeed. The Richmond woman matched all five numbers in the July 30 day drawing.

The top prize in Cash 5 is $100,000. However, Ms. Johnson bought two tickets for that drawing, each with the same five numbers, so she won a total of $200,000.

“I was so nervous,” she recalled.

She bought both tickets at the Food Lion at 3089 Mechanicsville Turnpike in Richmond.

The winning numbers were 8-10-13-23-28. She selected the numbers on her ticket using important family dates.

Ms. Johnson, who is retired, said the winnings will help pay for her granddaughter’s education.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 28, 2017

South Boston woman wins $100,000 playing Cash 5 game

Dinita Faulkner isn’t likely to forget the numbers 4-6-10-15-27 any time soon. Those are the five numbers with which she won $100,000 in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game.

The South Boston woman matched all five numbers in the July 18 day drawing with a ticket she bought at Short Stop, 3014 Love Shop Road in Halifax.

When asked what she plans to do with her winnings, Ms. Faulkner said she hasn’t had a new car in more than 20 years, so she might just buy a new SUV.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 26, 2017

Nurse wins $1 million prize on the day before her 49th wedding anniversary

On the day before their 49th wedding anniversary, Evelyn Burner made a rather unusual call to her husband, Irvin.

“Honey, I took $20 and I bought two lottery tickets,” the Mt. Jackson woman began.

“So why are you calling me?” he said.

“I think I won $1 million,” she replied.

She was right. Her 20X the Money ticket was a top prize winner. The other ticket she bought just happened to be a winner too. It won $10. Ms. Burner had a choice of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $657,030 before taxes. She chose the cash option.

She bought both tickets at the 7-Eleven at 10935 North Valley Pike in Broadway. The store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

20X the Money (Game #1781) isone of dozens of Scratcher games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $10 to $1 million. The chances of winning the $1 million top prize in this game are 1 in 1,162,800. The chances of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3.52.

Ms. Burner, who is a nurse, said she has no immediate plans for the winnings.

“I’ll still go to work, still help people,” she said.

And as for that 49th anniversary?

“I might make him take me out to dinner,” she said.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 26, 2017

Truck driver hauls in $100,000 prize from Virginia Lottery

Truck driver Donnie Turner was not in the least fazed by his $100,000 win the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game. When he discovered he’d matched all five numbers in the July 6 night drawing, did he jump up and down and shout?

Not at all.

“I just got in my truck and drove to Philadelphia,” he said.

The Richmond man bought his winning ticket at Mr. Fuel, 23818 Rogers Clark Boulevard in Ruther Glen. The winning numbers were 8-11-21-27-34. He used Easy Pick and allowed the computer to select the numbers on his ticket.

He said his winnings will go into savings.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 25, 2017

Norfolk woman wins $100,000 by playing Cash 5 game

Koritta Sawyer had a very good day at work. So then, why was the Norfolk woman trying not to cry? Maybe it had something to do with her winning $100,000 in the Virginia Lottery!

“A whole lot of emotions happening!” she said as she claimed her prize.

Ms. Sawyer matched all five winning numbers in the July 13 Cash 5 day drawing. The winning numbers were 3-6-13-17-26. She selected her numbers using family birthdays.

She bought her winning ticket at the 7-Eleven at 920 Level Green Boulevard in Virginia Beach.

Ms. Sawyer, who works in accounts receivable, said she plans to help her family and her church with her winnings.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 25, 2017

Patient couple claims top prize two weeks later

Dale Watson was in disbelief when she’d won $200,000 playing the Virginia Lottery. The Petersburg woman won the top prize in the Jewel 7sScratcher game.

Waking up her husband, Thomas, after buying her ticket at Food Lion, 4320 Westgate Drive in Petersburg, she told him, “I think I won the big one.” She said he had to put his glasses on to make sure.

The couple waited two weeks, keeping the ticket in an envelope under their mattress before finding the time to claim their prize, doing so on Mr. Watson’s birthday.

Jewel 7s (game #1676) is one of dozens of Scratcher games available from the Virginia Lottery. Tickets can be Black Opal, White Pearl, Aqua Marine or Green Jade. Prizes range from $5 to $200,000.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 734,400. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 4.27.

She is the fourth person to claim the top prize in game #1676, which means six $200,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

Mrs. Watson, who is a nurse, said she would like to invest the winnings but has not yet decided on any plans beyond that.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 25, 2017

South Chesterfield man wins a new Corvette® and $100,000 cash

Damian Young was talking on the phone while he scratched a Corvette® and Ca$h ticket from the Virginia Lottery. When the South Chesterfield man realized he’d just won the game’s top prize, he hung up on the other person.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It still feels a little unreal.”

Mr. Young is the first person to claim the exciting top prize of a brand-new Corvette® Stingray™ plus $100,000 cash. He bought the winning ticket at Corner Mart Sunoco, 2411 West Hundred Road in Chester.

He waited about three weeks before claiming his prize. “I kept the ticket real close to me,” he laughed. “Extra close!”

Corvette® and Ca$h is one of dozens of games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to that top prize. He is the first person to scratch and win the game’s top prize, which means two more top prize-winning tickets are unclaimed.

In addition, non-winning Corvette® and Ca$h Scratchers can be entered in the Ultimate Corvette® Experience. The lucky winner will receive a trip for two to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for a VIP presentation of his or her brand-new Corvette® Stingray™ at the National Corvette® Museum and $100,000 cash.

The odds of scratching to win the top prize in Corvette® and Ca$h are 1 in 1,387,200. The odds of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 4.31.

Mr. Young, who is a barber, will receive his new set of wheels in a few weeks. “I never drove one before,” he said. “I’m going to take some days off and enjoy it!”

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 24, 2017

Million-dollar winning tickets in Richmond and Williamsburg

It was a big weekend for Virginia Lottery players. Someone won $1 million in Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Then someone won $1 million in Saturday night’s Powerball drawing.

Now the question is, who are Virginia’s latest million-dollar winners?

The Mega Millions ticket was bought at Corner Mart, 4027 West Broad Street in Richmond.

The Powerballticket was bought at Terrace Grocery, 1102 Penniman Road in Williamsburg.

Each of those tickets matched the first five winning numbers and missed only the final number (the Mega Ball number or the Powerball number):

Whoever has these tickets has 180 days from the drawing date to claim the prize. The Lottery advises that before doing anything else, the winners should immediately sign the back of the ticket to establish ownership. When the person is ready to claim the million-dollar prize, he or she should contact the Virginia Lottery.

The stores each will receive a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights at 11:00. Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Drawings are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and streamed live at www.valottery.com. The odds of winning the $1,000,000 prize in Mega Millions are 1 in 18,492,204. The odds of winning Powerball’s $1 million prize are 1 in 11,688,054.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 19, 2017

College professor wins $1 million prize in Virginia Lottery

When Calvin Lowe scratched his Gold Bar Bonanza ticket from the Virginia Lottery, he thought he’d won the top prize, but he wasn’t certain. So, being a college professor, he decided to apply a little scientific methodology.

He got his magnifying glass to fully examine the ticket.

The final conclusion? He’d won the $1 million top prize!

Dr. Lowe and his wife bought the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven at 744 J. Clyde Morris Boulevard in Newport News.

He had the choice of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $675,982 before taxes. He chose the cash option. The store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

Dr. Lowe, who is Dean of the School of Science at Hampton University, said he told his secretary about the win and she replied, “I’m not losing you as a boss, am I?” He assured her he has no plans to quit.

He said he plans to save most of his winnings for retirement.

Gold Bar Bonanza features prizes ranging from $10 to $1 million. This is the first $1,000,000 prize claimed in this game, so three top prizes remain unclaimed. The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 1,101,600. The odds of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3.28.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 19, 2017

Sandston woman matches all five numbers in Cash 5 game

Ebony Long said she doesn’t play the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game often. Once was all it took when she matched all five numbers to win $100,000.

The Sandston woman won the top prize in the July 11 night drawing.

She bought her winning ticket at John’s Supermarket, 2017 East Nine Mile Road in Sandston.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 19, 2017

A $100,000 coffee break for Chesapeake woman

Just a normal day at work.

Tiffany Brinkley of Chesapeake decided to step out of the office for a cup of coffee. She went to the 7-Eleven at 7931 Halprin Drive in Norfolk, where she happened to notice the Virginia Lottery’s Win It All Doubler Scratcher game in the display.

“Something just told me to try my luck,” she said.

She scratched the ticket while she was sitting outside of her workplace. That’s when she realized she’d won the game’s $100,000 top prize.

“My daughter was with me,” she said. “She wondered why I was screaming and crying.”

Win It All Doubler is one of dozens of Scratcher games from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 to $100,000. She is the first person to claim the top prize in this game, which means four $100,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

Ms. Brinkley, who works as a branch manager, said she has no immediate plans for her winnings.

The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 832,320. The odds of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 4.00

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 19, 2017

“I’m going to just look at it for a while!” - Suffolk woman wins $100,000

Rose Caldeyro-Seals played five numbers that her husband dreamt. In fact, in her husband’s dream, the numbers won. Just one problem: In the dream, the ticket blew out the window as they were driving to claim the prize!

Fortunately, the ticket did not blow out the window when she played the numbers in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game and won the game’s $100,000 top prize.

She matched all five numbers in the July 11 night drawing with the ticket she bought at $ Delites, 6550 Hampton Roads Parkway in Suffolk.

The winning numbers were 3-5-12-13-34.

Ms. Caldeyro-Seals, who is a retired banker, said she has no immediate plans for her winnings.

“I’m going to just look at it for a while,” she said.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

Toll-Free anonymous line helps those with questions about gambling addiction

People suffering from gambling addiction can feel as if there’s nowhere to turn for help. The Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline is a “first step” for addicts, family members, and people who simply might have questions about gambling addiction.

The Virginia Lottery and the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling (VACPG) are teaming up to operate and staff the line, ensuring that Virginians who might suffer from gambling addiction, or their loved ones, have a 24/7 confidential place to turn for answers. Under a new agreement, the VACPG answers calls to the line, providing everything from answers to questions from people who think they or loved ones might be suffering from addiction, to resources where people can turn to for help.

The toll-free number is 888-532-3500.

“While the majority of people can play games of chance without harm, for some people gambling can be addictive and dangerous,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “The Virginia Lottery is committed to presenting its games in the most responsible manner possible.”

"This is the starting point for individuals and their families to get the help they need,” said Carolyn Hawley, Ph. D., VACPG President. “We look forward to working with the Lottery to build help resources in Virginia."

The Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline was created in 1997. The phone number can be found on all Virginia Lottery tickets and most Lottery advertising.

“Although there are no quick, simple solutions to gambling addiction, a call to the helpline could potentially be a lifesaving first step,” said Otto.

The Virginia Council on Problem Gambling (VACPG) is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization that aims to increase the education, prevention, and treatment efforts surrounding problem gambling within the state of Virginia.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 13, 2017

Staunton man takes top prize in “$500 Mayhem” Scratcher game

Donald Spencer said he didn’t sleep a wink the night before he visited the Virginia Lottery’s Shenandoah Valley Customer Service Center. That’s understandable when you consider that he had a $150,000 winning ticket in his possession.

The Staunton man played the Virginia Lottery’s $500 Mayhem Scratcher game and won the game’s $150,000 top prize.

It happened with a ticket he bought at First Choice, 77 Lee Jackson Highway in Staunton.

The $500 Mayhem Scratcher (game #1749) is one of dozens of games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $150,000. Mr. Spencer is the second player to win the top prize in game #1749, which means two $150,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,162,800. The odds of winning any prize in $500 Mayhem are 1 in 4.13.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 13, 2017

Roanoke woman wins $100,000 using numbers from a friend’s dream

You can bet Tracy Penn won’t forget the numbers 1-3-4-7-9 any time soon. Those are the numbers the Roanoke woman used to win $100,000 in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game.

She said she played those particular numbers after a friend told her those numbers appeared in a dream. She played them in the June 25 day drawing, and they all matched the winning numbers.

She bought her winning ticket at Cove Mart, 1723 Cove Road in Roanoke.

Ms. Penn said she has no immediate plans for her winnings.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

When Lorlene Davis checked her voicemail, there was a message from the Virginia Lottery saying her ticket had been drawn to win $100,000 in the July 11 eXTRA Chances Promotion drawing.

“I just nearly passed out!” the Roanoke woman said.

Ms. Davis’ ticket was drawn from more than 1.14 million entries to win the top prize. In the eXTRA Chances Promotion, players can enter non-winning Virginia Lottery tickets containing the eXTRA Chances logo for a chance to win prizes, even if the ticket didn’t win when the player scratched it.

“It feels like a dream!” she said as she claimed her prize. Ms. Davis said the prize will help send her daughter to college in August.

She’s not the only winner. Players have a chance to win each day with up to 50 daily instant-win cash prizes, ranging from $25 to $100. Just enter any non-winning Scratcher with the eXTRA Chances logo for your chance to win one of these great cash prizes.

The next grand prize drawing will be held on August 1 with a $100,000 grand prize. The deadline to enter is July 31.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 13, 2017

Roanoke man quietly wins $200,000 in “Pirate’s Loot” game

Andrew Mageros and his fiancée have what they call a “scratch off ritual.” The Roanoke man bought eight tickets for the Virginia Lottery’s Pirate’s Loot game and took them home to scratch.

One of those tickets won the game’s $200,000 top prize.

Did he jump up and down? Did he shout? No, he kept his mouth shut.

“Of course, a part of me said I’d better not say anything yet,” he said later.

Instead, the couple carefully examined the ticket until they were satisfied it actually was a $200,000 winner.

“Then we jumped up and down!” he said.

Pirate’s Loot is one of dozens of games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $200,000. Mr. Mageros is the second player to claim the top prize in this game, which means two top prizes remain unclaimed.

He bought the winning ticket at Stop In Food, 4111 Franklin Road in Roanoke.

The odds of winning that top prize are 1 in 1,040,400. The odds of winning any prize in Pirate’s Loot are 1 in 4.3.

Mr. Mageros said he hopes to put the winnings towards helping to pay off his mortgage.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

When Randy Johnson won $125,000 playing the Virginia Lottery’sPick 4game, it was a case of déjà vu. The Chesterfield man did the exact same thing four years ago.

Mr. Johnson bought $25 worth of plays for the June 2 night drawing. He chose the same number combination for each ticket: 4-3-3-5. When that turned out to be the winning combination, each of his plays was suddenly worth $5,000. His total winnings for that one drawing came out to $125,000.

That’s the same amount he won on April 15, 2013, with 25 plays in the Pick 4 night drawing.

In both instances, he bought his tickets at the same place: Rite Aid, 6921 Lake Harbour Road in Midlothian.

Pick 4 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The top prize for a $1 play is $5,000. The chances of matching all four numbers in exact order are 1 in 10,000.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 12, 2017

Woodbridge business owner wins $150,000 in “Lucky Cherry Slots” game

Rashid Iqbalof Woodbridge thought he’d won $1,500 playing the Virginia Lottery’s Lucky Cherry Slots Scratcher game. He took his winning ticket to the Lottery’s Northern Virginia Customer Service Center to claim his prize.

That’s when he discovered he was wrong. He hadn’t won $1,500. He’d won $150,000.

“No! No!” he kept saying as Lottery employees told him what his ticket was really worth.

Lucky Cherry Slots is one of dozens of Scratcher games from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 to $150,000. He is the ninth person to claim the top prize in this game, which means one $150,000 ticket remains unclaimed.

Mr. Iqbal, who owns a business in Northern Virginia, said he has no immediate plans for his winnings.

The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 440,640. The odds of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 4.13.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 11, 2017

Hamilton woman thought she’d won $250, but it was actually $200,000!

Nancy Brooks loves playing the Diamond DigsScratcher from the Virginia Lottery. In fact, she buys several at a time and then spreads out her play over several days to keep the enjoyment going.

“When I scratched this ticket, I focused in on the cart symbols,” said Brooks. “I didn’t have enough to add up to a prize, but I knew the ticket was a winner because I’d tried to enter it into eXTRA Chances. You can only enter non-winning tickets for that promotion, and the system wouldn’t ‘take’ this one.”

Brooks’ son, Gregory, also looked at it but thought it was a non-winner. Brooks, however, was convinced the ticket was worth $250.

“I finally took it to a store to check it,” Brooks said. “The self-checker had a weird message I’d never seen before so I took it to the clerk. After she looked at it closely and matched up all the diamond symbols (which I wasn’t even looking at) she confirmed that it was a $200,000 prize!”

She bought the ticket at 7-eleven, 110 Dry Mill Road in Leesburg. Though she knew within a couple of days of her purchase that it was a winner, because of work obligations, she waited more than a week to claim.

“I kept my ticket safe in a metal box, in the fridge,” she said. “The box belonged to my father so I figured it was extra lucky. Even if something, God forbid, happened to my house, the ticket would be safe!”

Brooks says she doesn’t have any immediate plans for her win. “I’d like to just have it on-hand. But I’ll definitely still be playing this game. There are still two unclaimed top prizes out there!”

Diamond Dig is one of dozens of games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $200,000. Ms. Brooks is the second player to claim the top prize in this game.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,040,400. The odds of winning any prize in Diamond Dig are 1 in 4.31.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 11, 2017

Norfolk man takes top prize in Cash 5 game

A Norfolk man recently won the top prize of $100,000 in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game.

Mr. Gallagher won $100,000 in the June 30 night drawing with a ticket he bought at Smoke Shack, 1595 International Boulevard in Norfolk

The winning numbers for that drawing were 21-22-23-27-34. He selected them using the Easy Pick function.

“It feels excellent, like a new start,” he said as he claimed his prize.

Mr. Gallagher said he plans to pay bills with his winnings.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 10, 2017

Powerball ticket bought in Manassas wins $1 million

Check your tickets! Someone bought a Powerballticket for Saturday’s drawing that is now worth $1 million. The winning ticket was bought at In & Out Mart, 9103 Mathis Avenue in Manassas.

So the question now is: Who has that million-dollar ticket?

The winning numbers for the July 8 Powerball drawing were 8-10-29-40-59, and the Powerball number was 26. This ticket matched the first five numbers and missed only the Powerball number.

Whoever has the ticket has 180 days from the drawing date to claim the prize. The Virginia Lottery advises that before doing anything else, the winner should immediately sign the back of the ticket to establish ownership. When the person is ready to claim the million-dollar prize, he or she should contact the Virginia Lottery.

The store that sold the winning ticket will receive a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery.

This ticket was the only one nationwide to match the first five numbers in Saturday’s drawing. No ticket matched all six numbers, so the jackpot for the Wednesday, July 12, drawing has grown to an estimated $155 million.

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. They are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and live on www.valottery.com. The odds of winning Powerball’s $1 million prize are 1 in 11,688,054.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jul 03, 2017

Roanoke woman wins $100,000 prize 12 times in the same drawing, for a total of $1.2 million!

Roanoke woman wins $100,000 prize 12 times in the same drawing, for a total of $1.2 million!

July 3, 2017

When Bonnie McNew got the phone call from her husband saying she’d matched all five numbers in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game, she didn’t believe him at first.

“I had to see it myself,” the Roanoke woman said. “I tried to stay calm.”

Winning the game’s $100,000 top prize would be amazing enough, but Ms. McNew had bought a dozen $1 plays, each with the same five numbers. That means she won a total of $1.2 million.

“I don’t believe it,” she said as she redeemed her winning tickets. “I’m still in shock.”

She bought all 12 plays for the June 30 day drawing at Bluehurst LLC, located at 10761 West Lynchburg Salem Turnpike in Montvale.

The winning numbers were 7-11-13-14-29. She selected those numbers using family birthdays.

Ms. McNew, who works as an office manager, said she has no immediate plans for the winnings, except to save towards retirement.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 30, 2017

Touchdown! UVA football player wins $100,000 playing Virginia Lottery

When Charles Davis matched all five numbers to win $100,000 in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game, he celebrated with his grandmother.

“We shouted together!” he said.

Mr. Davis, a University of Virginia student and a member of the UVA football team, was returning from an early-morning workout when he stopped to pick up coffee for his mother. He also played Cash 5, selecting numbers on his ticket that his grandmother suggested.

“I looked at the numbers on the website after the drawing and said, ‘I… won!’” he said.

He bought the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven at 43974 Pipeline Plaza in Ashburn for the June 25 day drawing. The winning numbers for that drawing were 1-3-4-7-9.

Mr. Davis is an American Studies major in his third year. He lives in Ashburn.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 30, 2017

The Virginia Lottery team wraps up award-winning season - Campaign to thank teachers receives two prestigious National Silver Anvils from the Public Relations Society of America

The Virginia Lottery, along with its PR partner Padilla, was honored with a pair of 2017 Silver Anvil Awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) on June 8. The annual event held in New York City honors organizations that have successfully addressed a contemporary public relations issue with exemplary professional skill, creativity, and resourcefulness. Silver Anvil Judges evaluate entries for their strategic nature of public relations programs using four key components — research, planning, execution, and evaluation.

The Lottery’s innovative Thank a Teacher campaign garnered the anvils in the Community Relations and Events and Observances (more than seven days) categories for government organizations.

The campaign encouraged the public to send thank-you notes to K-12 school teachers they value, while highlighting the fact that all lottery profits support K-12 education in Virginia. Qualifying teachers who received a thank-you note could enter a drawing for a chance to win a Virginia vacation from the Virginia Tourism Corporation. More than 30,000 print and digital notes were sent to teachers with the help of the Virginia PTA.

The Best in Show Commonwealth Award was for internal communications and the campaign “Virginia Lottery ‘Smooves’ into New Headquarters.” This campaign engaged Lottery employees as the entire office staff, the public-facing Prize Zone and massive computer operations moved to Main Street Centre in downtown Richmond.

“We’re so gratified that the hard work of our Communications team and other Lottery partners is being recognized,” said Virginia Lottery Director of Communications Jill Vaughan, APR. “These campaigns support our agency strategy of being a top employer in the Commonwealth and a trusted gaming source. It’s essential that we find creative ways to inform Virginians where their money goes when they purchase a simple lottery ticket- to K-12 schools.”

A complete list of 2017 Silver Anvil and Silver Anvil Award of Excellence winners is available here.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 29, 2017

An early wake-up call that he won $100,000

Not many people enjoy getting up at 2:30 in the morning to go to work. But for Kevin Dawson of Rustburg, it was a great experience one morning when he got up and checked the winning Virginia Lottery Cash 5 numbers. That’s when he discovered he’d won $100,000 in the previous night’s drawing.

“I couldn’t believe it!” he said as he claimed his prize. “I thought I was dreaming!”

He bought the ticket for the June 18 drawing at Quik-E Foods, 2209 Wards Road in Lynchburg. He selected the numbers on his ticket, 3-6-9-24-27, using a combination of birthdays and lucky numbers.

Not only that, but his fiancé won $50,000 in the same drawing using those same numbers.

Mr. Dawson, who works in the sheet metal industry, said he has no immediate plans for his winnings.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 29, 2017

Chesterfield woman calmly wins $200,000

When Regina Brown discovered she’d won $200,000 in the Virginia Lottery’s Pirate’s Loot game, you probably wouldn’t have known by looking at her. In fact, the store clerk asked her, “How are you managing to stay so calm?”

Pirate’s Loot is one of dozens of games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $200,000. Ms. Brown is the first player to claim the top prize in this game, which means three top prizes remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning that top prize are 1 in 1,040,400. The odds of winning any prize in Pirate’s Loot are 1 in 4.3.

Ms. Brown, who works in human resources, said she has no immediate plans for her winnings.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 29, 2017

Alexandria business owner wins $1 million prize in Virginia Lottery

Rene Zavala owns a small carpentry business. He also enjoys playing Virginia Lottery games. The Alexandria man received the surprise of his life when he scratched a 20X the Money ticket and won the $1 million top prize.

“I’m feeling great,” he said as he claimed his prize. “My whole body is nervous!”

He bought the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven at 7214 Beulah Street in Alexandria.

He had a choice of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $630,915 before taxes. He chose the cash option. The store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

20X the Money (Game #1689) isone of dozens of Scratcher games available from the Virginia Lottery. It featured prizes ranging from $10 to $1 million. Mr. Zavala claimed the fourth and final top prize in 20X the Money, which means the game is now closed. It’s the Virginia Lottery’s policy to end Scratcher games once the final top prize has been claimed.

The chances of winning the $1 million top prize in this game were 1 in 1,162,800, while the chances of winning any prize were 1 in 3.44.

Mr. Zavala said the winnings will help make his business strong.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 29, 2017

Portsmouth man takes top prize in Cash 5 game

When Sheldric Allen of Portsmouth told his mother he’d matched all five numbers in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game, she had some important advice:

“Sign the ticket! Sign the ticket!” she said.

Mr. Allen won $100,000 in the June 25 day drawing with a ticket he bought at Minks Shop, 3909 Twin Pines Road in Portsmouth.

The winning numbers for that drawing were 1-3-4-7-9. He said he selected them because he likes those numbers.

“It feels excellent, like a new start,” he said as he claimed his prize.

Mr. Allen, who works as a pipe fitter, said he has no immediate plans for his winnings except to pay bills.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

The Hampton woman was sitting on her bed with her iPad when she decided to check the results of that evening’s drawing. She said her husband was taking a shower at the time, When she realized she’d matched all five winning numbers, she went and opened the shower to tell her husband, “I think I won $100,000!”

She bought the ticket at Todd Lane, located at 1814-J Todds Lane in Hampton. The ticket was for the June 18 night drawing. The winning numbers were 3-6-9-24-27. She selected those numbers on her ticket because “they just came to me.”

Ms. Hill, who works in medical billing, said she has no immediate plans for her winnings.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 27, 2017

“I thought I wasn’t seeing right!” - Chesapeake woman wins $100,000

Janet Adams couldn’t believe her luck when she scratched a 10X the Money ticket from the Virginia Lottery and discovered she’d won the game’s $100,000 top prize.

“I thought I wasn’t seeing right,” she said. “I was in shock!”

She bought the ticket at Lawrence Pharmacy, 1156 North George Washington Highway in Chesapeake.

The 10X the Money game (game #1736) features prizes ranging from $5 up to $100,000. Ms. Adams is the fifth player to win the top prize in game #1736, which means two $100,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,049,143. The odds of winning any prize in 10X the Money are 1 in 4.29.

Ms. Adams, who has worked in a hardware store for 23 years, said she hopes to use her winnings to pay bills and do some home repairs.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 27, 2017

UPDATE: Where is that $1 million winner?

UPDATE at 5:01 p.m. June 30: The winning ticket was not redeemed, and the prize has expired.

It’s been nearly six months since three $1 million winning tickets were drawn in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle. Since then, two of those million-dollar tickets have been claimed. But that third ticket – ticket #111002 – which was bought in Richmond, remains unclaimed. The clock is ticking!

By law, winning tickets in Virginia expire 180 days after the drawing. That means the ticket will become worthless at the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on Friday, June 30, 2017, unless the winner comes forward.

The ticket was bought at 7-Eleven, 4601 West Broad Street in Richmond.

“We’re doing everything we can to get the word out to anyone who may have been at this 7-Eleven to check their tickets,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “It may be in someone’s wallet, a glove compartment, tucked away in a drawer, or anywhere. We need to see that ticket by close of business Friday!”

The other two million-dollar winning tickets were claimed by Glenn and Pam Spilman of Bristow within a week of the January 1 drawing, and Aubrey Barbour of Virginia Beach just two weeks ago. Mr. Barbour bought his winning ticket in Lynchburg. In addition to the three $1 million prizes, the Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle had six $25,000 winners and 300 $500 winners.

All Virginia Lottery unclaimed prize money goes to the state Literary Fund. The Literary Fund is used solely for educational purposes, such as upgrading technology in schools and teacher retirement funding. Since its inception in 1988, the Lottery has transferred more than $262 million in unclaimed prizes to Virginia’s Literary Fund.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 27, 2017

Dumfries woman spends the day with a $250,000 winning ticket in her purse

If Regina Wilner had only known that Virginia Lottery ticket she’d tossed in her purse was worth $250,000, she might have scratched it sooner. Instead, the Dumfries woman went about her business all day, leading to a big surprise that evening.

She’d become the second player to win the top prize in $250,000 Double Play (game #1765), which means two top prizes remain unclaimed in this game. The game features prizes ranging from $5 up to $250,000.

Ms. Wilner, who works as a waitress, said she has no immediate plans for her winnings except to pay bills and save the rest.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,040,400. The odds of winning any prize in $250,000 Double Play are 1 in 4.32.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 23, 2017

Ashburn man scratches to win $4 million prize in “Hot Millions Multiplier” game

Srinivas Kalla was taking his child to dance lessons when he decided to buy some lottery tickets. None of them were winners, but the Ashburn man wasn’t finished yet. Later that day, at the grocery store, he bought one more ticket. When he scratched it, he could see he’d won something.

“My first thought was, ‘Oh, maybe I won $5,000 or even $10,000,’” he later said.

On June 23, he received his check from Virginia Lottery officials at the Lottery’s Northern Virginia Customer Service Center in Woodbridge.

His prize was a choice between $4 million over 30 years or a cash option of nearly $2.25 million before taxes. He chose the cash option.

He bought the winning ticket at Harris Teeter, 42415 Ryan Road in Ashburn. The store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

Hot Millions Multiplier is one of dozens of Scratcher games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $20 up to $4 million. He’s the first player to claim the top prize in this game, which means two $4 million tickets remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,305,600. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.

Mr. Kalla, who works as a data analyst, said winning this amazing prize won’t change him or his family. “We’ll remain the same people,” he said.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 22, 2017

Reston father splits $200,000 prize with his daughter

When Casimer Carros of Reston plays the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game, he plays for both himself and his daughter Debra. He buys two tickets, each with the same numbers from his daughter’s and granddaughter’s birthdays.

So it was a double win when the numbers 2-5-7-10-31 were drawn in the June 8 night drawing. Each of the tickets won the game’s $100,000 top prize.

“I checked the numbers thinking I’m not a winner,” he said. “But this time I was!”

As soon as he checked the numbers and discovered both tickets won, he texted Debra with the good news.

“This is incredible!” he said as father and daughter claimed their prizes.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 21, 2017

Roanoke man wins $1 million prize in "Golden Spades" Scratcher

Jeffrey Mullen knew as soon as he scratched his Golden Spades ticket from the Virginia Lottery that he’d won something. However, the Roanoke man didn’t realize just how much he’d won. It turns out he’d won the $1 million top prize.

He bought the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven at 1701 Ninth Street in Roanoke.

He had the choice of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $561,798 before taxes. He chose the cash option. In addition, the store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

Mr. Mullen is the third and final player to claim the top prize in Golden Spades (game #1620), which means the game is closed. It is the Virginia Lottery’s policy to close Scratcher games once the last top prize is claimed.

The chances of winning the top prize in this game were 1 in 1,305,600. The chances of winning any prize were 1 in 3.4.

Mr. Mullen said he hopes to use his winnings to buy a new home and take care of family.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 15, 2017

Louisa man wins $100,000 playing Cash 5

Jamar Johnson was getting ready for work when he discovered he’d won $100,000. The Louisa man matched all five numbers in Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game.

It happened with a ticket he bought at K & B Market, 17561 Louisa Road in Louisa.

He won the top prize in the May 31 night drawing with the winning numbers 6-19-21-26-28. He selected the numbers on his ticket.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 15, 2017

Manassas man goes golfing and wins a lot of green from the Virginia Lottery

Russell Bergman likes to go golfing every Sunday. The Manassas man has a routine. On the way to the course, he stops for a soda, and often that’s accompanied by a Lottery ticket or two for him to scratch later.

That routine turned into a winning round when he scratched the ticket he bought at Mac’s Circle K, 8005 Sudley Road in Manassas, and discovered he’d won $100,000.

“This was a better Sunday than normal,” he joked as he claimed his prize.

Mr. Bergman won the top prize in 10X the Money (game #1736). It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $100,000. He’s the fourth player to win the top prize in game #1736, which means three $100,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,049,143. The odds of winning any prize in 10X the Money are 1 in 4.29.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

“I participate in nearly every game the Virginia Lottery has,” she said.

In April of 2009 the retired magistrate for the City of Richmond won a $50,000 scholarship from the Virginia College Savings Plan in the Virginia Lottery’s Match 3 Birthday Scholarship Sweepstakes.

Her latest win came with a ticket she bought at BP Food Shop, 2931 Chamberlayne Road in Richmond. She gave the ticket to her mother to scratch. She said when her mother started hyperventilating, she knew it was no ordinary ticket.

The $1,000 Mayhem Scratcher (game #1751) is one of dozens of games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $10 up to $500,000. Ms. Stallings is the first player to win the top prize in game #1751, which means three $500,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,101,600. The odds of winning any prize in $1,000 Mayhem are 1 in 3.5.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 14, 2017

Alexandria man wins $500,000 while buying a soda for his wife

If his wife hadn’t had a hankering for a diet soda, Keith Moreland might not have ended up with a $500,000 winning Virginia Lottery ticket.

The Alexandria man went to the 7-Eleven at 6146 Rose Hill drive in Alexandria to buy the soft drink. While he was there he decided to buy a pair of Super Ticket Big Money tickets from the Virginia Lottery.

He took the tickets out to his car to scratch. That’s when he discovered he’d won the game’s top prize.

“Lo and behold, there it was!” he said as he claimed his prize.

He immediately called his wife and said, “I’m coming home. I think I just won $500,000!”

Super Ticket Big Money is notable for its amazing size – larger than any ticket currently offered by the Virginia Lottery – and the four different games it contains. It offers prizes ranging from $10 to $500,000. That’s not all: non-winning tickets can be entered into the eXTRA Chances Promotion for a chance to win a $100 cash card instantly (30 per day) and another chance at $100,000 in the monthly drawing.

Mr. Moreland, who works in sales, said he might use his winnings to replace his 1997 Volvo, which is falling apart.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,101,600. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.32. Mr. Moreland is the second player to claim the top prize, which means one ticket remains unclaimed in the game. The store received a $10,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 14, 2017

A great lunch break: Winning $250,000 in the Virginia Lottery

“I see big winners all the time, but you never think you’re going to be one!”

That was Garry Stevens’ reaction to winning $250,000 in the Virginia Lottery’s Extra Playgame.The Silver Spring, Maryland, man won the game’s top prize.

He bought the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven at 2501-014 McNair Farms Drive in Herndon while he was on his lunch break from work.

After discovering he had the winning ticket, he put it in his briefcase. For the rest of the day, he kept checking his briefcase to make sure the ticket was still there!

Extra Play (game #1760) is one of dozens of games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $250,000. This is the third top prize claimed in this game. That means four $250,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,049,143. The odds of winning any prize in Extra Play are 1 in 4.31.

Mr. Stevens, who works in systems integration, said he has no immediate plans for his winnings except to pay bills.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 14, 2017

Ticket bought as birthday present wins $500,000

Swadesh Sharma of Staten Island, New York, received a Virginia Lottery Scratcher ticket for his birthday. When he scratched it, the ticket turned out to be a $500,000 winner.

His son Ricky gave him the $5,000,000 Cash Blowout ticket. He bought it at the store he owns, Brook Store, 3540 North Main Street in Toms Brook.

The $5,000,000 Cash Blowout game (game #1478) features prizes ranging from $20 up to $5,000,000. The prize Mr. Sharma won is actually the second prize. He’s the second player to win the $500,000 prize in $5,000,000 Cash Blowout, which means two more remain unclaimed. In addition, two $5,000,000 top prizes are unclaimed in this game.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,836,000. The odds of winning any prize in $5,000,000 Cash Blowout are 1 in 2.66.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 14, 2017

Christiansburg man wins $100,000 in eXTRA Chances Promotion drawing

When Travis Ratcliffe scratched his Virginia Lottery Scratcher ticket, it wasn’t a winner. Yet he still ended up winning $100,000.

How is that possible?

Simple. Instead of throwing the ticket away, the Christiansburg man entered it in the Lottery’s eXTRA Chances Promotion. That ticket was drawn from more than 265,000 entries in the June 6 drawing to win $100,000.

“I never in a million years thought it would be me,” he said.

Mr. Ratcliffe, a construction worker, said he started entering his non-winning tickets in the eXTRA Chances Promotion about two months ago, after hearing that someone nearby had won a large prize.

He said he hopes to use his winnings to take his family on a nice vacation.

He’s not the only winner. Players have a chance to win each day with up to 150 daily instant-win cash prizes, ranging from $25 to $100. Just enter any non-winning Scratcher with the eXTRA Chances logo for your chance to win one of these great cash prizes.

The next grand prize drawing will be held on July 11 with a $100,000 grand prize. The deadline to enter is June 30.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

For five months, a Virginia Lottery ticket worth $1 million lay in a drawer in Aubrey Barbour’s house, and he didn’t know it!

The Virginia Beach man bought the Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffleticket while he was visiting family in Lynchburg for Thanksgiving. He bought it at Speedway, 3732 Campbell Avenue in Lynchburg, when he stopped to gas up for the trip home.

On January 1, his ticket was one of three top prize winners drawn in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle. However, the valuable ticket lay forgotten in that drawer.

Finally, while looking for his checkbook, he stumbled across the ticket.

“Something just told me to go check it,” he said, still not realizing its value.

When he went to the Virginia Lottery’s customer service center in Hampton and learned what he had in his possession, the retired Navy chief petty officer couldn’t believe it.

“I think I’m dreaming,” he said while filling out his claim form.

His winning ticket is #283611. The other two top prize winners in the January 1 drawing were bought in Richmond and Bristow. Six tickets won $25,000 each. Those tickets were bought in Charlottesville, Culpeper, Dumfries, Richmond, Rustburg and Yorktown. An additional 300 tickets each won $500. Speedway receives a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Mr. Barbour said he has no immediate plans for the winnings.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

The Wednesday, June 7, Powerballdrawing resulted in 44,950 winning tickets in Virginia. However, no ticket in Virginia or anywhere else matched all six numbers, so the jackpot for the Saturday, June 10, drawing grows to an estimated $435 million.

That jackpot is causing excitement across the Commonwealth. The Virginia Lottery expects to sell about $3 million worth of Powerball tickets between last night’s drawing and 10:00 p.m. Saturday, when sales for Saturday’s drawing cut off. In fact, at peak times on Saturday, Powerball tickets will be bought at a rate of about 1,800 tickets perminute across Virginia.

If one ticket matches all six numbers in Saturday’s drawing, the winner will have the choice of taking the full $435 million jackpot in 30 annual payments or a one-time cash option of approximately $273.1 million before taxes.

The profit from every Powerball ticket bought in Virginia, like tickets from all other Virginia Lottery games, goes to K-12 public education in the Commonwealth.

Powerball prizes range from $4, for matching just the Powerball number, to the jackpot, for matching all six numbers.

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Powerball drawings are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and replayed on www.valottery.com. The cut-off time to buy a ticket is 10:00 p.m. on the night of the drawing.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

Her name was drawn from nearly 5,000 teachers who entered their thank-you notes in the prize drawing. On June 6, Virginia Lottery officials surprised her at the school with the good news. The fifth-grade teacher now has a choice of taking a beach-lovers, mountain-lovers or wine-lovers vacation.

The “Thank a Teacher” campaign kicked off on April 3, several weeks before National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 8-12), and lasted through May 19. During that timeframe, more than 35,000 thank-you notes were distributed by the Lottery to PTAs, and to the public from retailer and consumer events. Virginians could use the blank cards to send a note to the teacher or teachers who’ve made a difference in their lives. They also could send it electronically from valottery.com/thankateacher.

When teachers received the thank-you notes, they could use a unique web code on the note to enter for the grand prize. New this year was a partnership with Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and consists of four round-trip Amtrak tickets to anywhere in the northeast corridor from Virginia to Boston. The winner of that prize was Carly Campton, a sixth-grade Language Arts teacher from Salem Church Middle School in Chesterfield County. The third prize, a $250 VISA gift card, was awarded to Beth Swain, eighth-grade Math teacher at Andrew Lewis Middle School in Salem.

“Because the Virginia Lottery’s mission is to generate funds for K-12 schools, we get the chance to meet many teachers and see close-up how hard they work,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “It was gratifying to see the response to this campaign was even stronger in the second year of this initiative. It’s clear that people want to thank the memorable teacher – or teachers – in their lives.”

The “Thank a Teacher” campaign is a unique partnership between the Virginia Lottery, two other Virginia agencies (Virginia Tourism Corporation and Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation) and the Virginia PTA. It’s a forum to celebrate those teachers whose hard work and inspiration have made a difference in so many lives.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Jun 05, 2017

Powerball jackpot soars to estimated $375 million

A total of 35,060 tickets bought in Virginia won prizes in the Saturday, June 3, Powerballdrawing. Of those, one ticket stands out. It matched four of the first five winning numbers plus the Powerball number to win $50,000.

Since no one in Virginia or anywhere else matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, the estimated jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing grows to $375 million.

The ticket that won $50,000 was bought at Stateline #2, located at 506 US Highway 23 North in Weber City.

If one ticket matches all six numbers in Wednesday’s drawing, the winner will have a choice: either take the full $375 million jackpot in 30 annual payments, or choose a one-time cash option of approximately $235 million before taxes.

The profit from every Powerball ticket bought in Virginia, like tickets from all other Virginia Lottery games, goes to K-12 public education in the Commonwealth.

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Powerball drawings are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and replayed on www.valottery.com. The cut-off time to buy a ticket is 10:00 p.m. on the night of the drawing.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

“Rachel is a wonderful educator; not just to her students but also to her fellow colleagues. She is involved in so many things that benefit her students, her school division and her community. She is genuinely dedicated to creating a community of learners within her classroom and she works very hard to make sure she is meeting the needs of every student. She mentors fellow new teachers and is always a support for her school. Rachel also looks for ways to improve the curriculum, the staff morale, and the community.”

“The Super Teacher Awards demonstrate that we’re game for education,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “The Lottery is committed to supporting Virginia’s public schools, and that includes recognizing outstanding Super Teachers who make such a difference in the education of Virginia’s youth.”

This year the Lottery received more than 1,000 nominations from across Virginia. One teacher is selected from each of eight Virginia geographic regions. Ms. Caldwell represents the Central Virginia region.

The 2017 Virginia Lottery Super Teachers were selected by a panel of distinguished educators and community leaders, including:

Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary, former State Superintendent for Public Instruction

The judges selected the eight winners based on the strength of the nominations and educators’ qualities as exemplified by the nominators. Each nomination includes answers to four questions addressing everything from the teacher’s passion for and commitment to the profession, to innovation and creativity in the classroom, to how the teacher involves the students’ parents.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

The Wednesday, May 31, Powerballdrawing brought out the winners in Virginia. A total of 30,716 tickets sold in Virginia won prizes, including two tickets that each won $50,000. But since no one in Virginia or anywhere else matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, the estimated jackpot for Saturday’s drawing grows to $337 million.

Those two tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Powerball number to win the $50,000 prize. The tickets were bought at:

M & M Store, 25652 Jeb Stuart Highway, Stuart

Harris Teeter, 1320 Colonial Avenue, Norfolk

If one ticket matches all six numbers in Saturday’s drawing, the winner will have a choice: either take the full $337 million jackpot in 30 annual payments, or choose a one-time cash option of approximately $209 million before taxes.

The profit from every Powerball ticket bought in Virginia, like tickets from all other Virginia Lottery games, goes to K-12 public education in the Commonwealth.

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Powerball drawings are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and replayed on www.valottery.com. The cut-off time to buy a ticket is 10:00 p.m. on the night of the drawing.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

It’s been more than five months since three $1 million winning tickets were drawn in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle. Since then, only one of those million-dollar tickets have been claimed. The Virginia Lottery is waiting for the other two winners to come forward before it’s too late.

By law, winning tickets in Virginia expire 180 days after the drawing. That means each ticket will become worthless at the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on Friday, June 30, 2017, unless the winner comes forward.

Ticket #111002 was bought at 7-Eleven, 4601 West Broad Street in Richmond.

The other million-dollar winning ticket was claimed by Glenn and Pam Spilman of Bristow within a week of the January 1 drawing. In addition to the three $1 million prizes, the Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle had six $25,000 winners and 300 $500 winners.

All Virginia Lottery unclaimed prize money goes to the state Literary Fund. The Literary Fund is used solely for educational purposes, such as upgrading technology in schools and teacher retirement funding. Since its inception in 1988, the Lottery has transferred more than $262 million in unclaimed prizes to Virginia’s Literary Fund.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 30, 2017

Chesapeake man finds out while shaving that he won $100,000

For most men, shaving is a fairly boring and routine task. But that wasn’t the case for Edward Latimer.

The Chesapeake man was shaving while his wife checked the winning numbers in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game. That’s when they discovered he’d won the game’s $100,000 top prize.

Mr. Latimer matched all five numbers in the May 9 night drawing. He bought the winning ticket at Tinee Giant, 2722 Airline Boulevard in Portsmouth.

He selected the numbers on his ticket: 1-3-8-13-17.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 30, 2017

Nurse takes a heavy dose of winning in Virginia Lottery

Tiffiney Spruill was “excited and stunned” when she realized she’d won $200,000 playing the Virginia Lottery. The Chesapeake woman won the top prize in the Jewel 7sScratcher game.

It happened with a ticket she bought at Quik Shop, 3940 Airline Boulevard in Chesapeake.

Jewel 7s (game #1676) is one of dozens of Scratcher games available from the Virginia Lottery. Tickets can be Black Opal, White Pearl, Aqua Marine or Green Jade. Prizes range from $5 to $200,000.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 734,400. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 4.27.

She is the third person to claim the top prize in game #1676, which means seven $200,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

Ms. Spruill, who is a nurse, said she has no immediate plans for her winnings yet, but she’s looking into making a down payment on a house.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 30, 2017

Annandale restauranteur wins $200,000 playing Virginia Lottery

When Hussein Haj-Assaad of Annandale scratched his 50X the Money ticket from the Virginia Lottery, he immediately realized he’d won the game’s $200,000 prize.

The prize he won is actually the second highest prize in the 50x the Money game. The top prize is $5 million. He is the seventh person to win that $200,000 prize, which means one similar prize has yet to be claimed. Two $5 million prizes have been awarded, which means one has yet to be claimed.

The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 1,632,000. The odds of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3.07.

Mr. Haj-Assaad said he hopes to invest the winnings in his Falls Church restaurant.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 30, 2017

Chesapeake man uses children’s birthdays to win $100,000

When Ferris Rome saw the winning numbers in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 night drawing for May 10, he knew right away he’d won big. The Chesapeake man matched all five numbers to win the $100,000 top prize.

He selected his numbers using a combination of his children’s birthdays: 3-6-9-22-34.

He bought the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven at 1169 George Washington Highway North in Chesapeake.

The retiree said he might use his winnings to take his 92-year old mother on a trip to the Caribbean.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

“When visiting Angie’s classroom you will be shocked to find that there aren’t desks! Students can be found on bouncy balls, carpet, and couches. Students are regular and proficient users of ipads and have been exposed to coding using BeeBots. Angie has students video each other for inclusion on Seesaw and allows them to explain their learning to each other. Her class can be found lining up to the latest pop song, participating in STEM activities, and collaborating together to solve problems.”

“The Super Teacher Awards demonstrate that we’re game for education,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “The Lottery is committed to supporting Virginia’s public schools, and that includes recognizing outstanding Super Teachers who make such a difference in the education of Virginia’s youth.”

This year the Lottery received more than 1,000 nominations from across Virginia. One teacher is selected from each of eight Virginia geographic regions. Ms. Hoggan represents the Greater Richmond region.

The 2017 Virginia Lottery Super Teachers were selected by a panel of distinguished educators and community leaders, including:

Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary, former State Superintendent for Public Instruction

The judges selected the eight winners based on the strength of the nominations and educators’ qualities as exemplified by the nominators. Each nomination includes answers to four questions addressing everything from the teacher’s passion for and commitment to the profession, to innovation and creativity in the classroom, to how the teacher involves the students’ parents.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 23, 2017

Franklin County woman wins $1 million playing Mega Millions

Rose Ditano has a routine. The Penhook woman stops twice a week on her way to go grocery shopping to playMega Millions. Her favorite store to buy a couple of tickets is Whistle Stop, 11729 Old Franklin Turnpike in Union Hall.

That routine was disrupted when she and her husband Roland checked the winning numbers in the May 19 drawing. He read off the numbers printed in the newspaper while she looked at her ticket.

“Each time he read a number I said, ‘Yeah,’” she recalled. “By the time we got to the fifth number we were kind of in shock.”

The ticket matched the first five numbers, missing only the Mega Ball number, to win the $1 million prize. On May 23, she returned to the store to receive the check from the Virginia Lottery. The store received a $10,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

The winning numbers were 1-4-5-24-30, and the Mega Ball number was 1. She selected her numbers using family birthdays. If her ticket had matched all six numbers, she would have won a jackpot estimated at $43 million.

Ms. Ditano, who is retired, said she has no immediate plans for her winnings except to pay off the mortgage. “I’m not the type who goes nuts,” she said.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 22, 2017

Mega Millions ticket bought in Franklin County wins $1 million

Somewhere there is a ticket from Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing that’s now worth $1 million. It was bought at Whistle Stop, 11729 Old Franklin Turnpike in Union Hall.

The winning numbers for the May 19 drawing were 1-4-5-24-30 and the Mega Ball number was 1. This ticket matched the first five numbers and missed only the Mega Ball number. That wins Mega Millions’ second prize of $1 million.

Whoever has the ticket has 180 days from the drawing date to claim the prize. The Virginia Lottery advises that before doing anything else, the winner should immediately sign the back of the ticket to establish ownership. When the person is ready to claim the million-dollar prize, he or she should contact the Virginia Lottery.

This ticket was the only one in Virginia to match the first five numbers in the May 19 drawing, and one of just five nationwide. No ticket matched all six numbers to win the estimated $43 million jackpot, so the jackpot grows to an estimated $50 million for Tuesday’s drawing.

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights at 11:00. Drawings are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and streamed live at www.valottery.com. The odds of winning the $1,000,000 prize in Mega Millions are 1 in 18,492,204.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

Anne Canipe received the award in a surprise presentation in front of students, faculty and special guests. The award, sponsored by the Virginia Lottery, the Virginia PTA and Virginia-based The Supply Room Companies, consists of a $2,000 cash prize and an additional $2,000 classroom credit from The Supply Room Companies.

“In addition to all the extra time Ms. Canipe spends outside the classroom to develop creative and innovative lessons, she spends a great deal of personal time staying in constant communication with all her students and their parents. Ms. Canipe tailors her assistance to each family’s needs and gets involved where necessary to provide additional support. She is always accessible to her students and their parents via these multiple venues. Ms. Canipe not only involves parents and families through regular communication, but she also brings parents and other students into lessons to be guest speakers and to provide a real world perspective on lessons she is conducting, creating a greater sense of relevancy for her students.”

“The Super Teacher Awards demonstrate that we’re game for education,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “The Lottery is committed to supporting Virginia’s public schools, and that includes recognizing outstanding Super Teachers who make such a difference in the education of Virginia’s youth.”

This year the Lottery received more than 1,000 nominations from across Virginia. One teacher is selected from each of eight Virginia geographic regions. Ms. Canipe represents the Petersburg/Southeast Virginia region.

The 2017 Virginia Lottery Super Teachers were selected by a panel of distinguished educators and community leaders, including:

Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary, former State Superintendent for Public Instruction

The judges selected the eight winners based on the strength of the nominations and educators’ qualities as exemplified by the nominators. Each nomination includes answers to four questions addressing everything from the teacher’s passion for and commitment to the profession, to innovation and creativity in the classroom, to how the teacher involves the students’ parents.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 16, 2017

Chesapeake man wins $1 million in Mega Millions without leaving his home

Hayward Phillips didn’t run out to the store to buy a Mega Millions ticket. There was no need: He was already covered. The Chesapeake man bought his tickets using the Virginia Lottery’s “subscribe online” function to play from his home.

Shortly after the May 9 Mega Millions drawing, he received a phone call from Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto with the news of a lifetime. He’d matched the first five numbers, missing only the Mega Ball number, to win the game’s $1 million second prize.

As it turns out, Mr. Phillips was at work, operating a piece of heavy equipment as project superintendent for a utility contractor, when he received the call. But he soon needed to take a break to tell his wife the good news! Mr. Phillips bought the subscription for four drawings (two weeks) from his laptop on the Sunday evening before the drawing.

The winning numbers for the May 9 drawing were 6-29-45-69-73, and the Mega Ball number was 11. On May 16, he received the big check from Ms. Otto in a presentation at the Chesapeake Conference Center. He’s the first player to win the $1 million prize using the Virginia Lottery’s new online subscription service.

Subscriptions are offered by the Virginia Lottery for Mega Millions and Powerball to give players the opportunity to buy tickets online. Subscriptions are available to any Virginia resident, 18 or older, who is located within Virginia at the time of purchase. For more information, visit http://www.valottery.com/subscribe.

“We’ve offered subscriptions online for ten years, but recently revamped the system to make it more convenient for consumers,” said Ms. Otto. “Whether a Virginia Lottery player prefers playing at the traditional retail store or online, we’ve got it covered.”

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights at 11. Drawings are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and streamed live at www.valottery.com. The odds of winning the $1 million prize in Mega Millions are 1 in 18,492,204.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

Amy Watson received the award in a surprise presentation in front of students, faculty and special guests. The award, sponsored by the Virginia Lottery, the Virginia PTA and Virginia-based The Supply Room Companies, consists of a $2,000 cash prize and an additional $2,000 classroom credit from The Supply Room Companies.

Ms. Watson teaches second grade.

In the words of nominator Miranda Beeson:

“Innovation is a huge part of Mrs. Watson's classroom. The kids incorporate computers through programs such as GoNoodle, TenMarks and Seesaw. My son loves using the tablets to share his creative writing and drawings. The kids can like and comment on each other's work and entries. My son feels very proud and encouraged when a fellow classmate/friend leaves a comment on his work. With technology such a part of their lives today this plays right into their culture. Mrs. Watson tries to make experience part of each lesson. My son absolutely loves participating in her class!”

“The Super Teacher Awards demonstrate that we’re game for education,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “The Lottery is committed to supporting Virginia’s public schools, and that includes recognizing outstanding Super Teachers who make such a difference in the education of Virginia’s youth.”

This year the Lottery received more than 1,000 nominations from across Virginia. One teacher is selected from each of eight Virginia geographic regions. Ms. Watson represents the Hampton Roads region.

The 2017 Virginia Lottery Super Teachers were selected by a panel of distinguished educators and community leaders, including:

Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary, former State Superintendent for Public Instruction

The judges selected the eight winners based on the strength of the nominations and educators’ qualities as exemplified by the nominators. Each nomination includes answers to four questions addressing everything from the teacher’s passion for and commitment to the profession, to innovation and creativity in the classroom, to how the teacher involves the students’ parents.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

In the words of nominator and fellow teacher Rae Benavage: “She has collaborated with Glasgow’s science departments on many occasions and this year it resulted in Glasgow being awarded a $1,000 grant for establishing a recycle program in the Kitchen labs, cafeteria, and other strategic places in the building. She has taken students to attend the Annapolis Naval Academy Girls STEM day in Annapolis and a STEM convention in PA. Her desire to help students broaden their exposure to what is possible, what is being offered/available for them to take advantage of is an important attribute in their ability to see the possibilities in their future.”

“The Super Teacher Awards demonstrate that we’re game for education,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “The Lottery is committed to supporting Virginia’s public schools, and that includes recognizing outstanding Super Teachers who make such a difference in the education of Virginia’s youth.”

This year the Lottery received more than 1,000 nominations from across Virginia. One teacher is selected from each of eight Virginia geographic regions. Ms. DeHart represents the Northern Virginia region.

The 2017 Virginia Lottery Super Teachers were selected by a panel of distinguished educators and community leaders, including:

Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary, former State Superintendent for Public Instruction

The judges selected the eight winners based on the strength of the nominations and educators’ qualities as exemplified by the nominators. Each nomination includes answers to four questions addressing everything from the teacher’s passion for and commitment to the profession, to innovation and creativity in the classroom, to how the teacher involves the students’ parents.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 15, 2017

Charlotte County man wins $77,777

Edgar Lopez is a very lucky person. The Saxe man scratched a 777 ticket from the Virginia Lottery and won the game’s $77,777 top prize.

It happened with a ticket he bought at Food Lion, 1113 North Main Street in Chase City.

The 777 game is one of dozens of Scratchers available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $77,777. Mr. Lopez is the third player to win the top prize in 777, which means two top prize tickets in that game are unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in 777 are one in 832,320. The odds of winning any prize in that game are 1 in 4.34.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 15, 2017

Richmond man scratches to win $250,000 in “$250,000 Double Play” game

Jeffrey Fells was on a winning streak. The Richmond man had a $25 winning ticket and wanted to redeem it. So, on May 6, he went to Wegman’s in Short Pump where he cashed in his ticket and bought two more tickets with his winnings. One of them ended up winning $250,000.

“We were elated,” he said, describing the moment he and his wife realized what the ticket was worth. “I can’t describe it.”

He took the top prize in$250,000 Double Play(game #1765), one of dozens of games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $250,000. Mr. Fells is the first player to win the top prize in game #1765, which means three $250,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

This was the second major winning ticket bought at that same store within a week. Reginald Davis of Goochland County won $1 million by matching five numbers with a Mega Millions ticket in the May 2 drawing.

“The cashier was so happy,” said Mr. Fells. “It was a big week for them.”

The retiree said he has no immediate plans for his winnings except to contribute to his church. “We’ll start from there,” he said.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,040,400. The odds of winning any prize in $250,000 Double Play are 1 in 4.32.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 15, 2017

Wake up! You won $100,000! - Suffolk man wins big in Cash 5

James Williams had been sleeping and was still a little groggy when he checked the winning numbers in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game. That’s when he had an eye-opening experience.

The Suffolk man discovered he’d matched all five numbers in the April 30 Cash 5 night drawing to win the game’s $100,000 top prize.

“I was kind of surprised,” he said.

He bought his winning ticket at the 7-Eleven at 713 Eden Way North in Chesapeake.

The winning numbers were 8-11-17-25-31. He said he saw those numbers in a dream two years ago and has played them ever since, although he doesn’t play regularly.

Mr. Williams said he plans to use his winnings to pay bills and take care of a family member.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

That was Reginald Davis’ reaction as he claimed his $1 million prize from the Virginia Lottery. The Manakin Sabot man matched the first five numbers in the May 2 Mega Millions drawing to win $1 million.

He bought the winning ticket at Wegmans at 12200 Wegmans Boulevard in Short Pump. The store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

The winning numbers were 5-14-42-43-58, and the Mega Ball number was 1. The only number he missed was the Mega Ball number. He used Easy Pick, allowing the computer to randomly select the numbers on his ticket.

Mr. Davis, who is retired, said he heard there had been a winning ticket sold at Wegman’s, where he often shops.

“I’d better check my ticket,” he said to himself.

After discovering he had the winning ticket, he couldn’t believe his luck.

“I thought, ‘Is it real?’” he said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

Mr. Davis said he has no immediate plans for his winnings, except to help family.

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights at 11. Drawings are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and streamed live at www.valottery.com. The odds of winning the $1 million prize in Mega Millions are 1 in 18,492,204.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 04, 2017

North Dinwiddie man wins $100,000 in eXTRA Chances Promotion drawing

Don’t try to tell Elmo Miles that just because a Scratcher ticket isn’t a winner, he should throw it away. He knows better.

The North Dinwiddie man entered several tickets in the Virginia Lottery’s eXTRA Chances Promotion. One of his tickets was drawn from the nearly 1.3 million entries in the May 2 drawing to win $100,000.

This isn’t the first time he’s won a prize with a non-winning ticket. In 2008, he was one of nine winners of a trip to California in the Deal or No Deal Sweepstakes.

Mr. Miles, who is retired and a U. S. Navy veteran, still works part-time to keep busy. He’s also an avid fisherman. He said he might use his winnings to buy a new vehicle.

He’s not the only winner. Players have a chance to win each day with up to 150 daily instant-win cash prizes, ranging from $25 to $100. Just enter any non-winning Scratcher with the eXTRA Chances logo for your chance to win one of these great cash prizes.

The next grand prize drawing will be held on June 6 with a $100,000 grand prize. The deadline to enter is May 30.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

“Many people talk about the phrase "It's all about the kids"...She lives it!...Outstanding Reading Coach offering teachers a variety of effective strategies to improve Reading skills...Mentors new ELA teachers and models superb classroom instruction...Assists interventionists with small group and one-on-one instruction...data expert for RTI committee...Lead instructor for Learning Focused training to improve lesson planning...Conduit to the community through her active involvement in the Hylton Performing Arts Center...The most valuable member of our faculty...linchpin behind improved scores in Reading and Writing over last three years.”

“The Super Teacher Awards demonstrate that we’re game for education,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “The Lottery is committed to supporting Virginia’s public schools, and that includes recognizing outstanding Super Teachers who make such a difference in the education of Virginia’s youth.”

This year the Lottery received more than 1,000 nominations from across Virginia. One teacher is selected from each of eight Virginia geographic regions. Ms. Stuckey represents the Northwest Virginia/Shenandoah Valley region.

The 2017 Virginia Lottery Super Teachers were selected by a panel of distinguished educators and community leaders, including:

Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary, former State Superintendent for Public Instruction

The judges selected the eight winners based on the strength of the nominations and educators’ qualities as exemplified by the nominators. Each nomination includes answers to four questions addressing everything from the teacher’s passion for and commitment to the profession, to innovation and creativity in the classroom, to how the teacher involves the students’ parents.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 04, 2017

A $150,000 birthday present (one day late) for Williamsburg woman

It was the day after Kameka Safewright’s birthday when she received the best present of all. The Williamsburg woman scratched a Big Billsticket from the Virginia Lottery and won the game’s $150,000 top prize.

“Everybody was screaming,” she said. “Everybody was excited.”

She bought the ticket at the 7-Eleven at 8185 Croaker Road in Williamsburg. She said the store didn’t have the ticket she wanted, so instead she pointed at the Big Bills ticket and said, “Just give me two of those.”

Big Bills is one of dozens of games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $150,000. Ms. Safewright is the second player to claim the top prize in this game, which means three top prizes remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning that top prize are 1 in 832,320. The odds of winning any prize in Big Bills are 1 in 4.23.

Ms. Safewright is a convenience store manager at a different store than where she bought the winning ticket. She said she may use her winnings to buy some property.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 03, 2017

Mega Millions ticket bought in Short Pump wins $1 million

Somewhere there is a ticket from last night’s Mega Millions drawing that’s now worth $1 million. It was bought at Wegman’s, 12200 Wegman’s Boulevard in the Short Pump area of Henrico.

The winning numbers for the May 2 drawing were 5-14-42-43-58 and the Mega Ball number was 1. This ticket matched the first five numbers and missed only the Mega Ball number. That wins Mega Millions’ second prize of $1 million.

Whoever has the ticket has 180 days from the drawing date to claim the prize. The Virginia Lottery advises that before doing anything else, the winner should immediately sign the back of the ticket to establish ownership. When the person is ready to claim the million-dollar prize, he or she should contact the Virginia Lottery.

This ticket was the only one in Virginia to match the first five numbers in last night’s drawing, and one of just two nationwide. No ticket matched all six numbers to win the estimated $15 million jackpot.

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights at 11:00. Drawings are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and streamed live at www.valottery.com. The odds of winning the $1,000,000 prize in Mega Millions are 1 in 18,492,204.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 02, 2017

Williamsburg man collects $150,000 prize in Virginia Lottery game

Jonathan Kamara is a very lucky person. The Williamsburg man played the Virginia Lottery’s $500 Mayhem Scratcher game and won the game’s $150,000 top prize.

It happened with a ticket he bought at the 7-Eleven at 3963 George Washington Highway in Hayes.

When he scratched the ticket, he thought it looked like a big winner, but he wasn’t sure.

“I didn’t want to assume,” he said.

So he took the ticket to the Lottery’s Hampton Roads Customer Service Center, where he received the good news that he had indeed won.

“It’s good,” he said as he claimed his prize. “It won’t change me.”

The $500 Mayhem Scratcher (game #1749) is one of dozens of games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $150,000. Mr. Kamara is the first player to win the top prize in game #1749, which means three $150,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,162,800. The odds of winning any prize in $500 Mayhem are 1 in 4.13.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

That feeling was right when the Rustburg woman bought some tickets for the April 13 day drawing. One of those tickets won $100. Another won the game’s $100,000 top prize.

She selected the numbers on her ticket using her children’s birthdays. The winning numbers for that drawing were 8-11-17-25-31.

She bought her tickets at Rustburg Mini Mart, 462 Village Highway in Rustburg.

Ms. Slayton says she hopes to use her winnings for some home improvement projects.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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May 02, 2017

On his way to go fishing, Burke man reels in $500,000 from Virginia Lottery

It was a nice day, and Loc Doan wanted to get in some fishing. The Burke man stopped on the way to get a few supplies, including a few Super Ticket Big Money tickets from the Virginia Lottery.

When he scratched them in the store, he realized he’d won the game’s $500,000 top prize.

“I had to look a few times to make sure I’m not dreaming,” he later said.

So what did he do then? Of course, he continued on and went fishing!

Super Ticket Big Money is notable for its amazing size – larger than any ticket currently offered by the Virginia Lottery – and the four different games it contains. It offers prizes ranging from $10 to $500,000. That’s not all: non-winning tickets can be entered into the eXTRA Chances Promotion for a chance to win a $100 cash card instantly (30 per day) and another chance at $100,000 in the monthly drawing.

Mr. Doan, who is a building engineer, bought the winning ticket at Shoppers Food, 9274 Old Keene Mill Road in Burke. He said he might use his winnings to replace his 1994 van.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,101,600. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.32. Since he’s the first player to claim the top prize, there are still three more top prize tickets unclaimed in the game. The store received a $10,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

Sharon Rogers received the award in a surprise presentation in front of students, faculty and special guests. The award, sponsored by the Virginia Lottery, the Virginia PTA and Virginia-based The Supply Room Companies, consists of a $2,000 cash prize and an additional $2,000 classroom credit from The Supply Room Companies.

Ms. Rogers teaches fifth grade.

In the words of nominator and principal Angela Clendenon:

“Mrs. Rogers has been teacher well over 30 years. Her passion for education is enormous. When Mrs. Rogers does anything she does it with all of her heart and her efforts far surpass anyone you will ever meet. She is dedicated not only in her student's education, but also in constant learning for herself as an educator as well as educating new teachers on ideas and strategies from her own classroom. Mrs. Rogers has built relationships with students and continues to develop those long after they leave her classroom. She displays compassion and high expectations.”

“The Super Teacher Awards demonstrate that we’re game for education,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “The Lottery is committed to supporting Virginia’s public schools, and that includes recognizing outstanding Super Teachers who make such a difference in the education of Virginia’s youth.”

This year the Lottery received more than 1,000 nominations from across Virginia. One teacher is selected from each of eight Virginia geographic regions. Ms. Rogers represents the Southwest Virginia region.

The 2017 Virginia Lottery Super Teachers were selected by a panel of distinguished educators and community leaders, including:

Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary, former State Superintendent for Public Instruction

The judges selected the eight winners based on the strength of the nominations and educators’ qualities as exemplified by the nominators. Each nomination includes answers to four questions addressing everything from the teacher’s passion for and commitment to the profession, to innovation and creativity in the classroom, to how the teacher involves the students’ parents.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

Jean Hitchins received the award in a surprise presentation in front of students, faculty and special guests. The award, sponsored by the Virginia Lottery, the Virginia PTA and Virginia-based The Supply Room Companies, consists of a $2,000 cash prize and an additional $2,000 classroom credit from The Supply Room Companies.

Ms. Hitchins teaches K-2 Multiple Disabilities class.

In the words of nominator Augusta Vance:

“Using her incredible energy and knowledge, Mrs. Hitchins finds a way to reach her students each day with new excitement for learning. She combines multiple learning modalities to meet the needs of varying disabilities to bridge the gaps so that the children feel like they fit together and fit in. She has created for her students an adaptive PE swimming program with the local aquatic center, a "News to You" time, where once a week the mainstream students join her class to go over current events, and she has her students' garden alongside the other classes' gardens.”

“The Super Teacher Awards demonstrate that we’re game for education,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “The Lottery is committed to supporting Virginia’s public schools, and that includes recognizing outstanding Super Teachers who make such a difference in the education of Virginia’s youth.”

This year the Lottery received more than 1,000 nominations from across Virginia. One teacher is selected from each of eight Virginia geographic regions. Ms. Hitchins represents the Roanoke Valley region.

The 2017 Virginia Lottery Super Teachers were selected by a panel of distinguished educators and community leaders, including:

Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary, former State Superintendent for Public Instruction

The judges selected the eight winners based on the strength of the nominations and educators’ qualities as exemplified by the nominators. Each nomination includes answers to four questions addressing everything from the teacher’s passion for and commitment to the profession, to innovation and creativity in the classroom, to how the teacher involves the students’ parents.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

The Portsmouth man did it with a ticket that initially was not a winner. Instead of throwing it away, he entered it in the eXTRA Chances Promotion, and it was drawn in the April 4 monthly drawing to win the top prize.

He’s not the only winner. Players have a chance to win each day with up to 150 daily instant-win cash prizes, ranging from $25 to $100. Just enter any non-winning Scratcher with the eXTRA Chances logo for your chance to win one of these great cash prizes!

Mr. Wright, who works in a shipyard, said his winnings will go to pay bills and into his savings for the future.

The next grand prize drawing will be held on May 2 with a $100,000 grand prize. The deadline to enter is April 25.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

Each winner and his/her guest receive a five-night Caribbean cruise, round-trip airfare to and from the home port of Tampa, hotel lodging and ground transportation. Winners also receive $500 spending money; $250 in ship credit for onboard purchases, products and services; and free entry into on-board drawings and contests.

They are the winners in the April 11 Power Cruise™ drawing. Each received an entry form by buying $10 or more ofPowerball plays on a single ticket between February 5 and March 19. The 50 were drawn from a total of 128,308 entries.

Power Cruise™ is a privately-chartered cruise on the Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas® , reserved exclusively for Power Cruise™ Promotion winners only. Along with the 50 Virginia winners will be Power Cruise™ winners from other states in which Powerball is played.

The cruise shoves off from Tampa on January 15, 2018, with ports of call in Key West and Cozumel.

The 50 Virginia winners are:

Michael Abney of Moneta

Caroline Andrews of Millsboro, DE

Stuart Bain of Salem

Najma Begum of Fredericksburg

Ravone Brown of Henrico

Timothy Brown of Fredericksburg

Alice Campbell of Richmond

Shawna Cary of Williamsburg

Katherine Castelo of Arlington

Larry Collins of Chesterfield

Eric Cooper of Portsmouth

Paul Craig of Forest

Alvin Crane of Wytheville

Carlos Cruz of Hampton

Beverly Daniel-Patton of Hampton

Katherine Dirom of Richmond

Joseph Ellis of Dumfries

David Emmons of Falls Church

Marcel Felea of Herndon

Tana Foster of Virginia Beach

James Hadjis of Midlothian

Mary Holmes of Newport News

Arland Howsare of Virginia Beach

Carlos Luna of Virginia Beach

William Martin of Suffolk

Bruce McLean of Fredericksburg

Jenny Melgar of Dumfries

William Nowell of Windsor

Rickie Orange of Bedford

Mark Passa of Gainesville

Russel Patterson of Roanoke

Amy Price of Elkton

Ed Purcell of Fairfax

Thomas Quelynn of Upper Marlboro, MD

Roy Raasch of Dumfries

Shawn Rainey of Narrows

Mark Ramsey of North Chesterfield

Nancy Reynolds of Norfolk

Richard Robuccio of Sterling

Maida Rojas of Manassas

Gary Rose of Broadlands

Harold Schramm of Alexandria

Francis Short, Jr. of Arlington

Barbara Smith of Haymarket

Dennis Smith of Aldie

Kathy Vickery of Mechanicsville

Marlin Wanless of Williamsburg

Steven Wilson of Machipongo

Brian Wooddell of Bentonville

William Zehner of Winchester

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. The odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 25. For more information on Powerball, visit www.powerball.com.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Apr 11, 2017

Williamsburg woman wins $4 million top prize in “$4 Million Mega Multiplier”

So the Williamsburg woman said she put the ticket in her purse and finished her shopping “in a daze.”

“I waited for my husband to come home to confirm that I wasn’t psychotic,” she said.

The ticket that she bought at Food Lion, 7537 Richmond Road in Williamsburg was the fourth and final top prize winner claimed in $4 Million Mega Multiplier (Game #1472). The game is now being closed because it’s the Virginia Lottery’s policy to end games once the final top prize has been claimed.

Ms. James had a choice of taking the full $4 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $2.15 million before taxes. She chose the cash option.

“I never thought in a million years this would happen!” she said as she claimed her prize.

The chances of winning the $4 million top prize in this game were 1 in 1,713,600. The chances of winning any prize were 1 in 2.85.

Ms. James, who is a nurse practitioner, said she intends to invest her winnings.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Apr 11, 2017

“All I saw was a bunch of zeros!” - Norfolk man wins $3,500,000

All Joe Burke wanted was a cup of ice and a soda on his lunch break. Instead, the Norfolk man ended up with a Virginia Lottery ticket worth $3.5 million.

It happened when he bought a pair of$3,500,000 Ultimate Millions tickets at BP One, 3711 Holland Road in Virginia Beach. When he scratched the second ticket, he saw something he’d never seen before.

“All I saw was a bunch of zeros!” he said. “I just looked at it because I couldn’t believe it!”

Then he quietly walked out of the store without telling anyone.

The $3,500,000 Ultimate MillionsScratcher (Game #1585) isone of dozens of games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $20 up to $3.5 million.

Mr. Burke is the first player to claim that top prize, which means two more remain unclaimed.

He had the choice of taking the full $3.5 million in 30 annual payments or a one-time cash option of $1,966,292 before taxes. He chose the cash option.

“I’m kind of in denial,” he said as he claimed his prize. “It feels like a dream. Now it’s time to wake up.”

The chances of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,305,600. The chances of winning any prize are 1 in 2.85.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Apr 10, 2017

$1 million win brightens a rainy day for Virginia Beach couple

It was a rainy day. Kit Fenwick-Archie and her husband Michael Archie were soaking wet when they went to the Rite-Aid on Holland Road in Virginia Beach. She bought a Million $$ Matchticket from the Virginia Lottery.

As she later scratched the ticket at her home, the Virginia Beach woman said she started getting a strange sensation on the back of her neck.

“It was a feeling I’d never had before,” she said.

The ticket was a top-prize winner. The couple had the choice of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $561,798 before taxes. They chose the cash option. The store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

The couple said they intend to use their winnings for home improvement and to feel comfortable about “real retirement.”

Million $$ Match is one of dozens of games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $10 to $1 million. This is the game’s third million-dollar prize claimed, which means one more remains unclaimed.The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 1,101,600. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.31.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Apr 10, 2017

Henry County woman wins $100,000 in “10X the Money” game

It was about 1:00 a.m. when Jessica Scott called her friend and said, “You need to be here! I feel sick!”

What would cause her to feel that way? The Axton woman had just scratched a Virginia Lottery ticket and won $100,000.

Ms. Scott bought a 10X the Money ticket at Speedway, 4801 Greensboro Road in Ridgeway. She scratched it and realized she’d won the game’s top prize.

“I started freaking out!” she said as she later claimed her prize.

The 10X the Money Scratcher (game #1736) is one of dozens of games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $100,000. Ms. Scott is the third player to win the top prize in game #1736, which means four $100,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,049,142. The odds of winning any prize in 10X the Money are 1 in 4.29.

Ms. Scott said she hopes to use her winnings to help buy a house.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Apr 10, 2017

Norfolk man wins $150,000 playing Powerball

When Cecil Bruton discovered he’d won $150,000 playing Powerball, he immediately bought 20 boxes of items for the local food bank, even before he went and claimed his prize. He said he wanted to give something back immediately.

The Norfolk man matched four of the first five numbers plus the Powerball number in the February 4 drawing. Normally that would win $50,000. But Mr. Bruton spent an extra dollar for Power Play when he bought the ticket. Since the Power Play in that drawing was 3X, his prize was tripled to $150,000.

He bought the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven at 3800 Granby Street in Norfolk. He selected the numbers on his ticket with the help of the random number generator on the Virginia Lottery’s website.

When asked how he felt as he claimed his prize, the Air Force veteran replied, “I feel good! Thank you, Lord!”

The winning numbers in that drawing were 6-13-16-17-52 and the Powerball number was 25.

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. The odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 25. For more information on Powerball, visit www.powerball.com.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Apr 10, 2017

Woodbridge woman goes “five for five” to win $100,000

Zenova Hodge works as an actuarial assistant, which means she knows a thing or two about numbers. But that had nothing to do with her matching all five numbers in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game.

The Woodbridge woman selected five numbers that she likes and that have special meaning in her life. Those five numbers, 7-11-12-17-29, just happened to be the winning numbers in the April 3 Cash 5 day drawing.

By matching all five, she won the game’s $100,000 top prize.

Ms. Hodge said she has no immediate plans for her winnings except to pay bills.

She bought the winning ticket at West Side Exxon, 2081 Chain Bridge Road.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 24, 2017

“It’s unreal. I fell on the floor.” -- Poquoson woman wins million dollar prize in “100X the Money” game

When Emma McGee of Poquoson bought a 100X the Money ticket from the Virginia Lottery, she didn’t give it much thought.

“It was just a whim,” she said.

However, her feelings sure changed when she got home and scratched the ticket. That’s when she discovered she’d won the game’s $1 million prize.

“It’s unreal. I fell on the floor,” she said. “I was really excited. I’m still processing it.”

The 100X the Moneygame features prizes ranging from $30 to a $10 million top prize, the largest ever offered in a Virginia Lottery Scratcher game. This is the second $1,000,000 prize claimed, so one more remains unclaimed. In addition, two $10 million top prizes are unclaimed in this game.

The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 2,611,200. The odds of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 2.78.

Ms. McGee had the choice of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $630,915 before taxes. She chose the cash option. The store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 24, 2017

His glasses were broken, so he didn’t see that he won $250,000

If Camilo Espinosa’s glasses hadn’t been broken, he would have seen that the Virginia Lottery ticket in his hand was worth $250,000. Instead, the Chesapeake man thought he’d won $250.

Even when he finally realized his Extra Play Scratcher was actually a top-prize winner, he still couldn’t believe his luck.

“This can’t be happening. It can’t be true,” he recalled thinking.

He bought the winning ticket at Tinee Giant, 1560 Diamond Springs Road in Virginia Beach, after he got off work.

Extra Play (game #1760) is one of dozens of games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $250,000. This is the second top prize claimed in this game. That means five $250,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,049,143. The odds of winning any prize in Extra Play are 1 in 4.31.

Mr. Espinosa, who works in masonry, said he intends to pay bills with his winnings and help his family.

There’s also the possibility that he may buy a new pair of glasses.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 21, 2017

Fredericksburg woman wins $1 million while showing friend how to play the lottery

Merry Thomas is a really good teacher. The Fredericksburg woman had just finished working the overnight shift, but she still had time to show her friend and co-worker Julie how to play the lottery.

So they went to Giant Food at 35 Town and Country Road in Fredericksburg. Merry showed her how to work the self-service machine and how to scan the ticket after scratching it to see if it’s a winner.

Julie’s ticket won $12.

Merry’s ticket won $1 million.

“I’ve been freaking out since then!” Merry said as she claimed her prize.

Julie added, “Right in front of my eyes I saw this woman turn into a puddle.”

Merry won the top prize in the 20X the Money game. She had a choice of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $630,915 before taxes. She chose the cash option. The store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

20X the Money (Game #1689) isone of dozens of Scratcher games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $10 to $1 million. The chances of winning the $1 million top prize in this game are 1 in 1,162,800. The chances of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3.44.

Merry said she has no immediate plans for her winnings.

“I just feel so fortunate,” she said. “It’s unbelievable!”

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 21, 2017

Norfolk man on a winning streak wins $100,000

Jack Okolovitch had a nice winning streak going. First the Norfolk man won $35 playing Virginia Lottery Scratcher games. He used those winnings to play again and won $15. Then he used $10 of those winnings to buy a 10X the Money ticket. That ticket won $100,000.

“I was floored!” he said. “I don’t think the full impact has set in yet.”

He bought the top-prize winning ticket at the 7-Eleven at 6900 North Military Highway in Norfolk.

“The most I’ve ever won is $50 on Scratchers,” he said.

Mr. Okolovitch said he plans to save his winnings for retirement.

The 10X the Money Scratcher (game #1736) is one of dozens of games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $100,000. Mr. Okolovitch is the second player to win the top prize in game #1736, which means five $100,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,049,142. The odds of winning any prize in 10X the Money are 1 in 4.29.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

The Manassas man was at Aplus 94, located next to Dulles Airport at 44950 Rudder Road in Sterling, when he bought an Extreme Green ticket from the Virginia Lottery. He scratched the ticket and quickly realized he’d won the game’s top prize.

As he claimed his prize, the airplane mechanic was very understated.

“It’s pretty cool,” he said.

Extreme Green is one of dozens of games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $100,000. Mr. Bater’s ticket is the third top prize claimed in this game, which means two top prizes remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 832,320. The odds of winning any prize in Extreme Green are 1 in 4.37.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 16, 2017

Lucky Springfield man wins $175,000 in “Lucky Loot Tripler” game

Don’t tell Jose Velasquez that lightning never strikes twice in the same place. In November, the Springfield man won the $1 million top prize in the 20X the MoneyScratcher game. Now he’s won big again.

On March 10, Mr. Velasquez scratched to win the $175,000 top prize in Lucky Loot Tripler. He bought the winning ticket at Dollar Power, 7012 Commerce Street in Springfield, the same store at which he bought his million-dollar winner.

“Everybody was looking at me and told me, ‘You’re lucky,’” he said.

He claimed the third and final top prize in Lucky Loot Tripler (game #1698), which means the game is closed. It’s the Virginia Lottery’s policy to close games once the last top prize is claimed. The odds of winning that top prize in Lucky Loot Tripler were 1 in 1,060,800. The chances of winning any prize were 1 in 4.26.

Mr. Velasquez said he has no immediate plans for his winnings.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 16, 2017

Roanoke man wins $100,000 in eXTRA Chances Promotion drawing

Brandon Radford of Roanoke races four-cylinder cars when he’s not at his job as a machine operator. He expects to buy a lot of tires with the $100,000 he won in the Virginia Lottery’s eXTRA Chances Promotion.

“At first I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I just couldn’t believe it was real.”

And it all happened because of a ticket that didn’t win!

With eXTRA Chances, players can enter non-winning tickets in monthly drawings for prizes up to $100,000. Mr. Radford entered several tickets, and one of them was drawn from more than 1.4 million entries in the March 7 drawing to win the top prize.

He’s not the only winner. Players have a chance to win each day with up to 150 daily instant-win cash prizes, ranging from $25 to $100. Just enter any non-winning Scratcher with the eXTRA Chances logo for your chance to win one of these great cash prizes!

Mr. Radford said he hopes to use his winnings for a down payment on a house.

The next grand prize drawing will be held on April 4 with a $100,000 grand prize. The deadline to enter is March 28.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 16, 2017

A ticket for her deceased sister: Arlington woman wins $150,000

When Miryam Vergara de Ruiz won $150,000 playing the Virginia Lottery, it may have had a lot to do with her deceased sister.

It happened when Ms. Vergara was at the 7-Eleven at 2311 South 2nd Street in Arlington. She said she was feeling particularly sad, missing her beloved sister. Her husband, seeing her cry, suggested she play a Scratcher game to take her mind off of it.

She selected an Amazing 8sticket and scratched it. She then handed the ticket to the clerk, unsure if she’d won anything. The clerk yelled excitedly that she’d won big.

“I barely reacted to the news,” she said as she later claimed her prize. “I was still in disbelief.”

She won the fifth and final top prize in Amazing 8s (game #1705), which means the game is closed. It’s the Virginia Lottery’s policy to close games once the last top prize is claimed. The odds of winning that top prize were 1 in 832,320. The chances of winning any prize in Amazing 8s were 1 in 4.32.

Ms. Vergara said she plans to use her winnings to pay bills and make a down payment on a house.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

Lightning struck again when they bought an Extra Play Scratcher ticket at the Rite Aid on Upton Drive in Virginia Beach and won the $250,000 top prize.

Charles said they were attracted to the ticket because it’s a new game from the Virginia Lottery.

“We like to look at the new ones,” he said. “We find them kind of interesting.”

Extra Play (game #1760) is one of dozens of games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $250,000. This is the first top prize claimed in this game. That means six $250,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,049,143. The odds of winning any prize in Extra Play are 1 in 4.31.

When asked to what they attribute their amazing streak of luck, Charles joked that it’s all because of “my wife’s lucky rabbit’s foot she carries around with her.”

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 15, 2017

Carpenter nails the top prize in “20 Years of Cash” game

It may be the most memorable lunch break Shaun Bennett has ever taken.

The Stafford carpenter was working on a roofing project when he stopped at the Wawa at 275 Butler Road in Fredericksburg. He bought two Virginia Lottery tickets and won $5. So he bought another ticket and won $25. He took $10 of that and bought a 20 Years of Cash ticket. That ticket won the top prize of $2,500 per month for 20 years.

“It’s numbing,” he said as he claimed his prize. “I’m still waiting to wake up.”

He had the choice of taking the monthly payments or a one-time cash option of $492,919 before taxes. He chose the cash option.

As he waited for his check at the Virginia Lottery’s Northern Virginia Customer Service Center in Woodbridge, he bought another Scratcher ticket and won an additional $25!

The 20 Years of CashScratcher is one of dozens of games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 all the way up to $2,500 per month for 20 years. Mr. Bennett is the first player to claim the top prize in this game, which means three more remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 2,080,800. The odds of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 4.21.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 15, 2017

Petersburg woman quietly wins $100,000

If you’d been in the store when Mildred Owens of Petersburg discovered she’d won $100,000 in the Virginia Lottery’s 10X the Money game, you probably wouldn’t have known.

“I scratched it, and when I saw what it was, I left the store,” she said as she claimed her prize. “No one knew.”

Ms. Owens, who is retired, said she has no immediate plans for her winnings except to pay bills.

The 10X the Money Scratcher (game #1736) is one of dozens of games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $100,000. Ms. Owens is the first player to win the top prize in game #1736, which means six $100,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,049,142. The odds of winning any prize in 10X the Money are 1 in 4.29.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

Donald McNair wasn’t sure if the ticket in his hand was actually a winner. The Norfolk man thought he might have won the $150,000 top prize in the Virginia Lottery’s Amazing 8s game.

“You know you didn’t win,” his wife told him when he told her.

It turns out the ticket really was a top-prize winner. He bought it at the 7-Eleven at 3112 Azalea Garden Road in Norfolk.

Mr. McNair was the fourth player to claim the $150,000 prize in Amazing 8s (game #1705). Just two days after he claimed, the fifth and final top prize in that game was claimed, which means the game is closed. It’s the Virginia Lottery’s policy to close games once the last top prize is claimed.

The odds of winning that top prize in Amazing 8s were 1 in 832,320. The chances of winning any prize in Amazing 8s were 1 in 4.32.

Mr. McNair, who is retired, said he has no immediate plans for his winnings, except to help his family and church.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 14, 2017

Her husband told her not to buy a ticket – so she did, and won $150,000

Sabrina Gentry hardly ever plays the lottery, but once was all it took when she won $150,000 in the Virginia Lottery’s Big Bills Scratcher game.

And just what prompted the Saltville woman to buy that ticket?

“My husband said, ‘Now, don’t go and waste your money’” she said. “So of course, we do what they tell us not to do!”

She bought the ticket at Roadrunner Market, 440 Lee Highway in Chilhowie.

“I’m waiting to wake up from this dream,” she said as she claimed her prize.

She said the winnings will come in handy because she recently quit her job in order to go to nursing school.

Big Bills is one of dozens of games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $150,000. Ms. Gentry is the first player to claim the top prize in this game, which means four top prizes remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 832,320. The odds of winning any prize in Big Bills are 1 in 4.23.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 14, 2017

King and Queen County man wins big in Virginia Lottery – again!

When Theodore Townes collected the $100,000 top prize in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game, it was a case of deja vu. The Walkerton man has won several large prizes in the past, including $500,000 in 2009, $777,777 in 2007 and $100,000 in 2015.

Now he’s done it again.

His ticket matched all five numbers in the February 25 night drawing. The winning ticket was bought at Mido Express, 1418 Richmond Tappahannock Highway in Manquin.

The winning numbers for that drawing were 13-15-27-30-31. He used Easy Pick and allowed the computer to randomly select the numbers.

Mr. Townes, who is a cook, said he has no strategy to winning. “I haven’t thought about it,” he said.

He said his winnings will go towards retirement.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

You might say Frankie Free is a patient man. He had a pair of Virginia Lottery tickets worth $100,000 each in his possession for five and a half months. He finally redeemed them to collect the $200,000.

Both tickets matched all five winning numbers in the September 19, 2016, Cash 5 day drawing. The tickets were bought at Springfield Sunoco Mart, 6400 Backlick Road in Springfield. The winning numbers were 4-7-9-24-30.

Mr. Free, a retired government worker, said he waited so long to claim the prize so he could meet with an advisor and make financial plans. He said he may use some of the winnings for home improvement.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 07, 2017

Two winning tickets in the same drawing: Chesapeake man wins $150,000

“I was just amazed!”

That was Robert Manley’s reaction to matching all five numbers in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game – not once, but twice in the same drawing.

The Chesapeake man wagered $1.00 on one ticket and $.50 on another. When all five numbers matched on those two tickets, the $1.00 wager won $100,000, and the $.50 wager won him $50,000.

He bought both winning tickets at the Food Lion at 2617 Moses Grandy Trail in Chesapeake for the February 22 night drawing. The winning numbers were 13-16-18-20-21. He randomly selected the numbers.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said as he claimed his prize. “I looked at the ticket maybe four or five times.”

Mr. Manley said he and his wife may use his winnings for a “nice, nice, well-deserved overseas trip.”

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 07, 2017

Rockingham County woman wins $1,000 per month for 20 years

Michele Ferrell of Elkton just kept staring at the Scratcher ticket in her hand.

“What? Is this true?” she recalled thinking. “I couldn’t believe it at first.”

She had just played the Virginia Lottery’s20 Years of Cash game and won the second prize of $1,000 a month for 20 years.

Ms. Ferrell, who is a registered nurse, bought the winning ticket at Valley’s, 102 Blue & Gold Drive in Elkton.

She had the choice of taking the monthly payments or a one-time cash option of $197,168 before taxes. She chose the monthly payments.

“It feels fantastic!” She said as she claimed her prize, “I can’t put it into words!”

The 20 Years of CashScratcher is one of dozens of games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 all the way up to $2,500 per month for 20 years.

The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 2,080,800. The odds of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 4.21.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 07, 2017

Woodbridge man wins $100,000 playing Cash 5

Khak Prang of Woodbridge is a very lucky person. The Woodbridge man matched all five numbers in the February 19 Cash 5 night drawing to win the game’s $100,000 top prize.

He bought the winning ticket at Sunoco, 10619 Braddock Road in Fairfax.

The winning numbers for that drawing were 11-12-14-25-34. He selected the numbers on his ticket at random.

Cash 5 drawing are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated more than a half-billion dollars for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Mar 01, 2017

Virginia Lottery and Virginia Council on Problem Gambling encourage support for National Problem Gambling Awareness Month

In addition, a new public service announcement (PSA) for television and radio is being released statewide on March 1. The PSA, titled “Upside Down,” promotes the Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline, which assists people who think they or loved ones may have a gambling problem. It emphasizes that if someone’s life has been turned upside down by gambling he or she can make a positive change by seeking help.

The PSA is one of many ways in which the Lottery and VACPG are working to promote problem gambling awareness. Additionally, there’s something the Lottery won’t do: It is suspending product advertising on television and radio from March 1 through March 10 to show support for problem gambling awareness.

“We work to present our games in the most socially responsible manner possible,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto. “Our message is simple: Have fun and play responsibly.”

“Promoting awareness about problem gambling is key to preventing difficulties among members of our communities,” said VACPG President Carolyn Hawley, Ph.D. “The knowledge of how a recreational activity can become problematic, understanding the warning signs, and factors that place people at risk, can help minimize gambling related problems. We are fortunate that we have a Lottery that is making a commitment towards responsible gaming, and supporting efforts to keep gambling fun.”

The Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline is a toll-free number, (888) 532-3500, where callers can get information and referrals such as Gamblers Anonymous chapters in Virginia. It’s a good first step for anyone who thinks they or a loved one may have a gambling problem. All Virginia Lottery tickets and most printed advertising materials contain the number.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated a record $588 million for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

The Virginia Council on Problem Gambling (VACPG) is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization that aims to increase the education, prevention, and treatment efforts surrounding problem gambling within the state of Virginia.

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Feb 28, 2017

Chesterfield man claims $100,000 Cash 5 prize

It’s not easy having a winning Virginia Lottery ticket in your possession for three months before claiming the prize – and not telling anyone.

The Chesterfield man matched all five winning numbers in the November 27 Cash 5 day drawing to win $100,000. He didn’t tell anyone, not even family members. He kept the ticket in a drawer for about a month, then moved it to a more secure location in his garage.

He finally redeemed his ticket with the Virginia Lottery nearly three months after winning.

He bought the ticket at Food Lion, 7032 Commons Plaza Drive in Chesterfield. The winning numbers were 20-22-23-24-25. He said he selected numbers that he’s been playing for some time now.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated a record $588 million for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Feb 28, 2017

Expiring ticket alert: Could someone throw away $1 million?

Someone is in danger of throwing away a million-dollar prize. A Mega Millions ticket that is now worth $1,000,000 will become a worthless slip of paper, unless the winner claims the prize before 5:00 p.m. on March 15.

The ticket was bought for the September 16, 2016, Mega Millions drawing at the 7-Eleven at 1729 Military Highway South in Chesapeake. Since then, no one has come forward with the winning ticket to claim the prize.

By law, winning tickets in Virginia expire 180 days after the drawing. Unclaimed prizes go to Virginia’s Literary Fund, which is used solely for educational purposes, such as upgrading technology in schools and teacher retirement funding.

The winning numbers for that drawing were 13-21-28-34-40, and the Mega Ball number was 15. This ticket matched the first five numbers and missed only the Mega Ball number. That wins Mega Millions’ second prize of $1 million.

Whoever has the winning ticket should contact the Virginia Lottery immediately at 804-692-7000 or 757-825-7800.

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights at 11:00. Drawings are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and streamed live at www.valottery.com. The odds of winning the $1,000,000 prize in Mega Millions are 1 in 18,492,204.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated a record $588 million for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Feb 24, 2017

On the way home from the emergency room, he buys lottery tickets and wins $77,000

Normally, you wouldn’t think a trip to the emergency room is a good thing, but in Ricky Fortune’s case, it led to him winning $77,000 in the Virginia Lottery.

The Stafford man said he fell while working at his job in the home improvement industry. It took several hours for him to be treated in the emergency room and sent home. While on the way home, he decided to stop and buy 20 Pick 4tickets for the February 15 night drawing, all with the same four-digit combination: 1-7-4-4.

Sure enough, that four-number combination was drawn, making all 20 plays winners.

He wagered “exact order” when he bought 10 of the tickets. Each of those won the game’s top prize of $5,000. For the other 10 tickets, he wagered “50/50” to win $2,700 each.

“It’s not a million, but it feels like it!” he said as he claimed his prize. “I’m overjoyed but in a humble way.”

Pick 4 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of matching all four digits in exact order are 1 in 10,000.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated a record $588 million for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Feb 24, 2017

Portsmouth couple does it again! - Three years after amazing winning streak, they win $100,000 in Cash 5 game

Now they have another prize to add. Calvin matched all five numbers in the February 14 Cash 5 day drawing to win that game’s $100,000 top prize.

“I feel like I’m good at it,” he joked as the couple claimed their latest prize.

The winning ticket was bought at Tinee Giant, 2722 Airline Boulevard in Portsmouth. The winning numbers were 1-16-18-26-31. He said he used birthdays in selecting the numbers on his ticket.

He said the couple has been “enjoying life” since their lucky month in 2014, and they both still work.

“It’s a blessing from the Lord,” he said.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated a record $588 million for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Feb 23, 2017

Powerball ticket bought in Virginia wins $50,000 - More than 72,000 winning tickets in Virginia for February 22 drawing

Although the jackpot-winning ticket in the February 22 Powerballdrawing was not bought in Virginia, there was no shortage of winners in the Commonwealth. A total of 72,634 tickets bought in Virginia won prizes, including one ticket that won $50,000.

The ticket that won $50,000 was bought at 7-Eleven, 1401 Kiln Creek Parkway in Newport News. It matched four numbers plus the Powerball number.

In the 18 drawings leading up to last night’s drawing, during which the jackpot continued to grow, the sale of Powerball tickets in Virginia generated an estimated $9.3 million in profits. By law, all of those profits go to K-12 education in Virginia.

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Powerball drawings are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and live on www.valottery.com. For more information on Powerball, visit www.powerball.com.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated a record $588 million for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Feb 14, 2017

Bristol woman wins $100,000 in eXTRA Chances Promotion drawing

Emily Buckles rarely plays the lottery. When a couple of co-workers told her about the Virginia Lottery’s eXTRA Chances Promotion, in which players can enter non-winning tickets for a chance to win prizes, the Bristol woman decided to give it a shot.

On February 7, her ticket was drawn to win the $100,000 top prize.

“I still don’t believe it,” she said. “I’m in shock!”

She’s not the only winner. With eXTRA Chances, players have a chance to win each day with up to 150 daily instant-win cash prizes, ranging from $25 to $100. Just enter any non-winning Scratcher with the eXTRA Chances logo for your chance to win one of these great cash prizes!

Ms. Buckles, who works as an office assistant, said she has no immediate plans for her winnings except to pay student loans.

Her winning ticket was one of more than 1.8 million entries in that drawing.

The next grand prize drawing will be held on March 7 with a $100,000 grand prize. Any non-winning ticket from a Virginia Lottery Scratcher containing the eXTRA Chances logocan be entered. The deadline to enter is February 28.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated a record $588 million for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Feb 14, 2017

Falls Church man wins $100,000 playing Cash 5

If you’d seen Suraj Kanojia when he discovered he’d matched all five numbers to win $100,000 in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game, you might have wondered what was so funny. The Falls Church man said his immediate reaction was to burst out laughing.

It happened with a ticket he bought for the February 3 day drawing at the 7-Eleven at 6730 Lee Highway in Arlington.

The winning numbers were 1-13-16-23-28. He used Easy Pick and allowed the computer to randomly select the numbers on his ticket.

He said he has no immediate plans for his winnings except to pay bills.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated a record $588 million for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Feb 14, 2017

“Something must be wrong!” says Lynchburg man as he wins $250,000

Robert Taylor used to tell his wife she was wasting her money playing the lottery. He’s not likely to say it now. The Lynchburg man scratched to win $250,000 in the Virginia Lottery’s Money Bag Doubler game.

“I looked at the ticket and said, ‘Something must be wrong!’” he told Lottery officials as he claimed his prize.

He bought the winning ticket at Kroger, 7801 Timberlake Road in Lynchburg.

Money Bag Doubler is one of dozens of games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $5 up to $250,000. This is the fifth top prize claimed in this game, which means two top prizes remain unclaimed.

Mr. Taylor, who is retired, said he and his wife are taking a “wait and see” attitude about how to spend their winnings.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,049,143. The odds of winning any prize in Money Bag Doubler are 1 in 4.31.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated a record $588 million for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Feb 13, 2017

Washington County woman stops for a drink – and ends up winning $100,000

When Tammy Bentley of Glade Spring stopped at Hiab Food Mart on Maple Street in Glade Spring, all she wanted was to get a drink. While she was there, she also bought a 10x the Money ticket from the Virginia Lottery.

That ended up being a $100,000 decision. Her ticket won the game’s top prize.

“I’m still in shock! It’s awesome!” she said as she claimed her prize. “I didn’t think I was going to win anything.”

Ms. Bentley, who said she plays “every once in a while,” immediately went home and locked up the ticket when she realized how much she won.

She won the seventh and final $100,000 prize in 10x the Money (game #1635), which means the game is now closed. It is the Virginia Lottery’s policy to close Scratcher games once the final top prize is claimed.

The odds of winning the top prize in this game were 1 in 1,049,143. The odds of winning any prize in 10x the Money were 1 in 4.29.

Ms. Bentley said she hopes to use her winnings to buy a new house.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated a record $588 million for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Feb 08, 2017

“Not in a thousand years did I believe this would happen!” - Winchester woman wins $200,000 in “Jewel 7s” game

“I looked at it… and looked at it… and looked at it.”

That’s how Wanda Haley described the moment she realized she’d won $200,000 playing the Virginia Lottery. The Winchester woman won the top prize in the Jewel 7sScratcher game.

“It’s just unbelievable,” she said as she claimed her prize. “Not in a thousand years did I believe this would happen!”

Jewel 7’s (game #1676) is one of dozens of Scratcher games available from the Virginia Lottery. Tickets can be Black Opal, like the one Ms.Haley scratched, White Pearl, Aqua Marine or Green Jade. The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 734,400. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 4.27.

She is the second person to claim the top prize in game #1676, which means eight $200,000 tickets remain unclaimed.

Although Ms. Haley has no definite plans for her winnings, she said there just might be a new car in her future.

When it comes to education, the Virginia Lottery is game. In fact, it’s the reason we play. We generate more than $1.6 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of Lottery products, the Virginia Lottery generated a record $588 million for Virginia’s public schools in Fiscal Year 2016. For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check us out on YouTube. Please play responsibly.

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Feb 08, 2017

Woodbridge man wins $100,000 in Cash 5 game

There’s a good chance that Nixon Barahona will remember the numbers 5,9,12,19 and 26 for a long time. Those are the numbers with which the Woodbridge man won $100,000 in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game.

“I was in shock,” he said. “I still can’t believe it.”

He bought his ticket at the 7-Eleven at 17105 Old Stage Road in Dumfries for the February 1 day drawing.

Although Mr. Barahona said he has no immediate plans for his winnings, it comes at a good time because he recently started his own business.